Ormoc City Mayor Gomez, wife Lucy Torres Gomez gets reelected
TACLOBAN CITY – Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez expressed his gratitude to the voters of his city for giving him another fresh mandate.
And what made his poll victory more memorable was his vice mayor and all his slate for councilor also won during Monday’s elections.
Based on a partial and unofficial result, Gomez, who ran under the administration party PDP-Laban, obtained total votes of 77, 573 votes compared to 29,795 votes of Eric Codilla, a former three termer mayor of the city.
“We are very fortunate to be given a fresh mandate,” Gomez said.
Gomez credited his successful re-election bid to the support of the City Hall employees which enabled him to implement projects and programs that benefited the people of Ormoc City.
“Our campaign wouldn’t be successful without the support of all department who had helped us to make Ormoc City a beautiful place since 2016. So will again ask you to work harder, work together to make Ormoc more progressive,” Gomez said.
The mayor added that under his administration, he focused on addressing the drug menace, a priority program of the Duterte administration.
“At the end of the day we are all Ormocanons. We worked on to make Ormoc more beautiful and more progressive. While we have this mandate, we want to make Ormoc a better place to live in for all of us,” Gomez said.
His wife, Rep. Lucy Torres Gomez also won on her third reelection bid for Leyte’s fourth district.
Torres-Gomez, based on an unofficial and partial results, received 177,938 votes against her opponent, Eufrocino Codilla who only obtained 50,969 votes.
Her younger brother Matt Torres also won as mayor of Kananga, defeating incumbent Mayor Rowena Codilla.
Matt Torres garnered 15,350 votes against Codilla’s 13,310 votes.
His sister-in-law Caren Rama was also elected as board member representing Leyte’s fourth district.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
BJMP-Maasin City links with barangay to maintain public beach
MAASIN CITY- The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in this city has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with barangay Tunga-Tunga, the central village of the city, for the maintenance of a public beach located along Espina boulevard, at the back of the city hall.
First in the order of business was to rename the beach into “Baybajon sa Tunga-Tunga,” baybajon being the term for beach in bisaya with a Maasinhon accent, said Senior Jail Inspector Bernardino Edgar Camus, the city jail warden.
“The giving of a new name was necessary to erase the negative connotation of the previous name, Likay-Likay beach, which carries the impression that bathers had to evade something as the term literally means a call to escape,” Camus said during the PIA Kapihan Friday.
Development plan envisioned for Baybajon sa Tunga-Tunga involved the putting up of open nipa huts free-of-charge for beachgoers enjoying the high tide there, on a first-come, first-served basis; a space for volunteer lifeguards; and subdued lighting during the night, Camus said.
“These will be presented to the barangay and the local government unit since BJMP has no budget, but personnel may be scheduled to serve as lifeguard,” he added.
The initiative was part of BJMP’s adopt-a-park program as well as the bureau’s efforts at enhancing community relations, Senior Jail Officer II Sergio Maglines pointed out, adding that the MOA was signed last month, April 23.
“The beach is unique as other barangays in the city proper like Combado, Tagnipa, Abgao, Mantahan, and Mambajao had no such attraction,” Maglines said.
Major events being held at Baybajon sa Tunga-Tunga are the annual conduct of Octoberfest acoustic concert, activities during July 1 anniversary of the province, and charter day activities of the city on August 10.
On weekends especially on a high tide, and every Sakay-Sakay festival of the city in late January, locals and visitors converged in this place, enjoying the white sand and each other’s company, and having fun.
“Meanwhile, the city’s BJMP will continuously push to maintain its top record in the region as a no smoking jail facility, having garnered a Red Orchid Award from the Department of Health,” said Senior Jail Officer III Marlon Abar.
(LDL/MMP/PIA-8, Southern Leyte)
Calbayog Mayor Aquino expressed anger on series of killings in his city
CALBAYOG CITY- A political supporter of Mayor Ronaldo Aquino was gunned down by still unidentified armed men just two days before the conduct of the recently-concluded May 13 elections.
Aquino, who is poised to keep his post based on unofficial and partial results, immediately expressed his indignation on the killing of Joseph Ortega.
Ortega was killed by suspects while he was on board a vehicle along Barangay Marcatubig, this city.
His companion, Manuel Sahul, sustained some wounds due to the ambush incident.
Mayor Aquino said that he feel sad that he killing of Ortega and his other supporters who were earlier gunned down eyeing politics as the main reason.
“I expressed my deep condolences and sympathies with those who mourn their loved ones lost in this pointless political attacks,” the city mayor said.
Calbayog has been placed as a hot spot area during the May 13 elections due to series of killing incidents, many were barangay officials.
Police Colonel Rolando Miranda, deputy regional director for operations of the Philippine National Police Regional Office, assured the public that there will be a thorough investigation into these killings.
He did not gave a timeline when these investigations will be conducted. (JAZMIN BONIFACIO)
Maasin City mayor, entire slate receive fresh mandates
TACLOBAN CITY- The incumbent mayor of Maasin City, Nacional “Nikko” Mercado and his entire slate were given fresh mandates after a landslide win during last Monday’s elections.
Their victory are certain that Mercado along with Vice Mayor Maloney Samaco and their councilors are expected to be proclaimed today (Tuesday) by the members of the City Board of Canvassers.
Mercado, who will serve his second term, defeated former governor Rosette Lerias.
The winning councilors are Effie Abiera, Mikee Mercado, Margarita Bantug, Jun Gerong, Jigjig Paler, Vivencio Costillas, Zaldy Olita, Melvin Dublan, Felix Verano, and Al Generan.
Mercado, 36, thanked his constituents “for the trust and support” while vowing to continue the projects and program which he started.
Under his administration, Maasin received the 2018 Seal of Good Local Governance Award; 2018 National Anti-Drug Abuse Council Performance Award; 2018 Outstanding Farmer’s Association (Unified Farmer’s Association of Barangay Baugo); 2018 Recognition for Sustained Nutrition Program Implementation; 2018 Best in Case Holding on National Tuberculosis Control Program; 2018 Best Performing Health Facility Implementing Pharmaceutical Chain Management; 2018 Dugong Buhay DugtongBuhay Award.
The city was also awarded the 2017 Seal of Good Local Governance Award; 2017 2nd place Most Improved LGU for Component Cities Awarded by the National Competitiveness Council; 2017 Best Performing Barangay Health Worker (BHW) Federation; 2017 Regional Outstanding Barangay Health Worker Federation; 2016-2017 Seal of Child Friendly Local Governance; 2016-2017 Best Local Government Unit (LGU) on Pabasa sa Nutrisyon; 2016-2017 Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar; 2016-2017 Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Council; and the 2016 Recognition for Sustaining and Continuously Strengthening Nutrition Program Implementation in the Regional and National Level.
Maasin is also known as the Hall of Famer for the Red Orchid Award for implementing the 100% tobacco-free environment. (RONALD O.REYES)
100% of Eastern Samar private hospitals now implementing NBB under UHC; a first in the country
One Hundred percent of private hospitals in Eastern Samar have inked a memorandum of agreement with PhilHealth for the implementation of the No Balance Billing Policy ahead of the implementation of the Universal Health Care Law.
This innovation of PhilHealth 8 Regional Vice President Dr. Leo Douglas Cardona Jr., is a first in the country. The facilities who voluntarily joined the program include the Borongan Doctors Hospital, Oras Doctors Hospital, Domingo Casano Hospital, Ponferrada Polymedic Hospital, Dr. Leon Domingo Memorial Infirmary Clinic, Our Lady of Guadalupe Hospital, Immaculate Concepcion Clinic & Hospital and St. Jude Hospital.
“I endeavoured for the program to push through because it would mean that PhilHealth members, especially the poor will have access to quality health care without having to worry about their hospital bill,” RVP Cardona explained.
Under the No Balance Billing Policy, qualified patients should not be charged fees nor be made to pay for other expenses above and beyond the PhilHealth package rates in ward accommodations. This means that all necessary services, medicines, supplies among others, must be provided to the patients to ensure the best possible health outcomes.
NBB-eligible patients include members of the National Household Targeting System (NHTS), Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of DSWD, senior citizens, retirees and pensioners under the Lifetime Program of PhilHealth and domestic workers or kasambahays.
Previously, No Balance Billing policy was mandatory in government facilities and voluntary on the part of the private facilities. With the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law, the same policy will be implemented in private facilities wherein 10% of their approved bed capacity will be allocated to ward accommodations while government hospitals must allocate 90% of the bed capacity.
However, since the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) is still to be finalized, residents of Eastern Samar would have to wait until the third quarter to avail of this benefit had it not been for this strategy of PhilHealth Regional Office 8.
Aside from the eight (8) facilities in Eastern Samar, St. John Hospital of Catbalogan, Samar; St. Scholatica’s Hospital Inc. of Pambujan, Northern Samar, Leyte Baptist Hospital and Villaflor’s Clinic both of Hilongos, Leyte also joined the NBB initiative for private hospitals in Region 8.
(MIRAMAR P. ZABALA)