TACLOBAN CITY — The long-aspired P716-million Tacloban Airport terminal building construction project will proceed this year, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) assured local officials here Thursday.
DOTr Project Management Service Director Eduardo Mangalili said their office will bid out soon the contract for coming up with detailed engineering design to make the facility at par with global standards.
“The project will push through. It’s already in the General Appropriations Act. The budget intended for Tacloban Airport will not be used for other airports,” Mangalili told members of the Regional Development Council’s infrastructure and utilities development committee.
The official said they’re looking at joining the contract for design and construction to ensure obligation of budget within the year.
Under the DOTr’s original timetable, the terminal building construction is up for bidding in June this year.
The target is to complete the full development of the city’s airport within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.
The transportation department backed the development of the city’s airport, considering that it is the seventh busiest airport in the country with 1.2 million passengers last year.
To complement the building of new permanent terminal building, the government had set aside in 2014 some P142.56 million for the relocation of affected families.
The relocation activity is 48.58 percent complete and the target completion is July 2018, according to Mangalili.
Last year, the DOTr released P264.93 million to finance asphalt overlays, a newly designed parking area, shore protection, and site development for the new terminal building, including the construction of a perimeter fence.
For 2019, the proposed budget is P50 million to support the multi-year implementation of control tower and operation building construction.
Early this year, the government unveiled the P17 million expanded terminal building for use, pending the completion of the permanent terminal building.
The expansion increased the total floor area to 1,100 sq. meters and added 275 seats to the 360-seater departure area before the extension.
The central government conceptualized the upgrading of Tacloban Airport as early as May 1996 when the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) carried out a master plan on the development of the airports of Tacloban, Bacolod, Iloilo, and Legazpi.
This is in support of the Philippine government’s thrust to modernize transportation infrastructure and facilities and promote exports by air in the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (1993-1998).
The project has faced several setbacks for two decades, including the government’s inability to provide a counterpart budget to the JICA-funded project during the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
In November 2012, former president Benigno Aquino III approved the P2.12 billion Tacloban Airport Development Project supposedly for implementation between 2013 and 2016.
The concreting of the new apron and taxiway were completed in 2014.
However, the terminal building construction failed to push through with the diversion of the P718.75-million fund for the Tacloban Airport to the Disbursement Acceleration Program.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

CALBAYOG CITY- Two were persons were killed while two others were injured after a lightning hit the passenger boat that they were on board past noon Thursday(May 31).
Killed were Reynaldo Delabajan, 28 and a worker of the National Power Corporation (Napocor) and Pedro Alimoot, a fisherman and a resident of Barangay Costa Rica, Sto. Niño, an island town also in Samar.
Based on police report, the fatalities were on board M/B Justine Joy when the bolt struck it while it was docked at the port of this city.
The bolt hit the middle post of the passenger boat where the victims were sitting. They died on the spot.
Peter Alimoot, 26, a student and a resident of Brgy. Costa Rica, and Jovane Campoanor, 26 and a resident of Almagro, Samar and a crew member of the ill-fated passenger boat, sustained injuries due to the freak incident.
It was learned that the passenger boat was hired by Napocor to transport diesel to Sto. Niño.
Delabajan, a resident of Sto. Niño, worked at the Napocor as an operator.
At the time of the freak incident, the city was experiencing heavy rains. (JENNIFER SUMAGANG-ALLEGADO)

TACLOBAN CITY- The regional Police Regional Office has released its own version of 10 Commandments dubbed as “PRO8 10 Police Commandments”.
And just like the biblical commandments, the region’s police force, now under the leadership of Chief Supt. Gilberto Cruz, are expected to obey it to the letter.
The first commandment prohibits policemen who are on duty not to sleep with the second command prohibiting them not to smoke while also on duty.
As a third commandment, they are also advised to wear their proper uniform and should not be under the influence of liquor as the fourth commandment.
Fifth commandment mandates them to always be neat and clean and not to read newspaper while on duty as the sixth commandment.
Seventh commandment refers to police on duty should be polite and be attentive to people while the eight prohibits a duty officer not to leave his post until his reliever or replacement has not arrived.
Officers on duty are not allowed to use their cellular phones for texting and are not allowed to use their phones for games while on duty, is the 9th commandment.
For the 10th and final commandment, officers are not allowed to ride motorcycle vehicles without using protective gear like helmet while on patrol.
Chief Inspector Ma. Bella Rentuaya, regional police information officer, asked the public to text or inform them if they happen to see any police officer violating their 10 commandments.
They can file their complaints at the PRO8 Internal Discipline Monitoring Group or at PRO8 Kasugbong Mo Hotline at 09551369334 or contact them at their social media accounts Pulis Rehiyon VIII.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY -The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) has pushed back the completion date for the P80 million San Juanico Bridge lighting project from November 2018 to April 2019.
Oliver Cam, vice chair of the infrastructure and utilities development committee vice chair of the Regional Development Council (RDC), said TIEZA and other stakeholders agreed that completing the project on or before November 2018 is not realistic.
“There are lots of basic paper works to be done to get to the point where it is ready for implementation. There’s a need to come up with technical details, engineering design, and scope of work of the project,” Cam said.
The RDC official who represents the business sector, said TIEZA is closely coordinating with the project proponent, the Samar provincial government to carry out the project. A management board with various agencies and local government units as members, will be organized to manage the new tourism attraction.
Brett de los Santos, Samar provincial investment and trade promotions office chief, said the new target completion date is April 2019.
The plan is to light up the entire 2.16-kilometer structure.
“Once the project is complete, there would be a 10-minute light show six times nightly that may include water, light, and laser aspects. Every night, there would be six-hour park mode or static mode lights with subtle movement of lights,” de los Santos said.
The project will use light-emitting diode, one of today’s most energy-efficient and rapidly-developing lighting technologies.
Just like other shows, its colors will be in support of various events throughout the year, the lighting will also be programmed to celebrate special occasions, Tan said.
Samar’s provincial government will also build a boardwalk for a perfect view of the show and provide music. Tan encourages investors to put up shops nearby.
Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan shared the idea on illuminating the iconic bridge to Tacloban City Mayor and RDC chair Cristina Romualdez in an effort to add vibrancy and interest to nighttime tourism.
At present, tourists can enjoy daytime activities at the San Juanico Bridge through the tour packages offered by private operator, Aquamomentum.
The bridge’s transformation would be a new attraction under the Spark Samar, a branding campaign initially launched in 2015.
Once called the Marcos Bridge, the San Juanico Bridge was built in August 1969 over the San Juanico Strait, the narrowest navigational strait in the world that separates Samar and Leyte Islands and was completed in December 1972.
The bridge that spans 2.162 km. was built as part of the Pan-Philippine Highway now called the Maharlika Highway, a network of roads, bridges, and sea routes that connect the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The 18-athlete delegation from the Leyte Sport Academy (LSA) won a total of 11 gold medals in the 2018 Philippine National Games held in Cebu City last May 19-25.
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla told Leyte Samar Daily Express that aside from the gold medals won in the athletic competitions, the LSA-enrolled young athletes also won 8 silver and 5 bronze medals.
Gov. Petilla said that all the 11 gold medals won by the delegation came from athletics or track and field events with eight athletes only who participated in the competitions.
He added that boxing participated in by three athletes contributed three silver medals and judo with seven athletes who participated in the event got three bronze medals.
Petilla said that LSA athletes are still the overall all champion in the track and field girls division with two most valuable (MVP) player namely, Decerie Jane Niala who won four gold medals in the 16-17 years old youth category and Catherine Manese who won three gold medals in the 18 year old and above or junior category. (RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, PALO, Leyte- A 58-year old man from Bobon, Northern Samar was drowned in a river Thursday (May 31) afternoon.
The victim was identified as Ruben Alzaga, a resident of Barangay Gen. Lucban of said town.
Reports reaching the regional Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters, said that at about 2:14 pm, the victim, who was having a drinking spree with his friends, went to the nearby Sawangan Point to catch fish.
But he failed to return to his friends as his lifeless body was found later floating in the water.
Initial investigation disclosed that the victim, who was already under the influence of liquor, could have been drowned.
His companions rushed him to a rural health unit for a post-mortem examination. (PR)