ORMOC CITY-The local government of Ormoc City is bent in making it as one of the very few cities in the country where public smoking is banned.
And this early, Mayor Richard Gomez issued a warning to visitors who will come to the city during their annual fiesta next month not to smoke in public.
Otherwise, they will be charged for violating their ordinance against public smoking, the mayor said.
“If they want to smoke, they have to smoke outside (the city proper) and then balik na sila dito,” he said.
The city is to celebrate its annual fiesta on June 29 with thousands of visitors expected to visit Ormoc and witness its fiesta-related activities like its Piña Festival.
Violators of the city’s anti-smoking ordinance (Ordinance Number 35), approved in 2014, imposes a penalty of P500 up to P1,500, depending on the number of violations committed.
The intensified campaign against anti-smoking of the city government is also anchored under Republic Act 9211, otherwise known as the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 which prohibits smoking in public and selling of cigarettes to minors.
Gomez, who is an actor and athlete, said that by intensifying on their anti-smoking campaign, they could help their people achieve good health saying that smoking can cause cancer and other diseases.
“Our end goal here is to make our citizens healthy. We know the bad effects of smoking as it causes lung cancer and other diseases,” he said.
The city mayor, however, could not say if smoking is among the leading causes of deaths in Ormoc City.
But he was quick to say that their campaign only involves those smoking in public places as smokers could still smoke at their homes or in public places like restaurants which have designated smoking areas.
As part of their campaign, Gomez had led ‘Operation: Baklas’ wherein advertisements and other promotional campaign on cigarettes placed 100 meters away from schools and other public places like plazas were taken down which are frequented by minors.
Members of its city police are also directed to enforce both the city ordinance and national law on public smoking.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- Police personnel will be deployed in all schools across the city as the new school year is to start this Monday (June 4).
About 160 police personnel are to be deployed in the schools as part of their security measure, Chief Inspector Rex Cantillep, deputy director for operation of the Tacloban City Police, said.
“It is not only the responsibility of the schools or the PNP so it is collaborating between the barangay officials and community as well para han kaupay han aton mga kabataan kay usa an environment nga nakakahatag interest han aton mga bata to enhance their skills and knowledge because good environment in the school, it will help enhance the interest of the student or enhance their knowledge through education”, he said.
Police personnel will be deployed to all 13 public secondary schools and 21 elementary schools in the city.
The activity is part of Operation Balik Eskwela(OBE).
Oplan Balik Eskwela is an annual campaign initiated by the Department of Education (DepEd), in coordination with other government agencies like the PNP, communities, and other stakeholders help prepare for the opening of every school year.
It aims to ensure that students are properly enrolled and able to attend school during the opening of classes.
It seeks to address common problems encountered during school opening. It was first established on 2005.
(REJOY R. TORALBA, SHELLA MAE D. ASTORGA, DHEMA NIÑA O. IGAY, NwSSU Student Intern)

Pres. Duterte invited to grace the city fiesta

TACLOBAN CITY- A livelier and more colorful Sangyaw Festival’s “Parade of Lights” will be staged this year as it now enters its 10th year.
This was disclosed by City Mayor Cristina Romualdez during a press conference Friday(June 1) as lined-up activities relative to the forthcoming city fiesta were disclosed by her.
“We have nothing but to ensure that our people and the visitors will enjoy our fiesta which is a month-long celebration,” Romualdez said.
She disclosed that they have invited President Rodrigo Duterte and her daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, among other officials, to attend this year’s city fiesta.
The city mayor also said that she is rushing for the completion of some traffic lights, at least at the city’s downtown area, before the June 30 festivities as an ‘added attraction’.
The city’s traffic lights were destroyed when it was hit by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ in 2013.
Among the activities in this year’s city fiesta include the holding of the Miss Tacloban, nightly cultural presentations, band shows featuring local and national bands, different sports competition, Sangyaw Awards which gives honors to outstanding Taclobanons, Sangyaw Festival of Lights and the Balyuan rites involving the images of Sto. Niño de Tacloban and Sto. Niño of Basey.
Mayor Romualdez said that as this year marks its 10th year after it was revived by her husband, former mayor Alfred Romualdez, she want it to be a bigger spectacle both the city residents and visitor could enjoy.
More than 15 contingents are to compete in this year’s Sangyaw Festival’ Parade of Lights. Four of them are from Biliran, Surigao, Pinabacdao and Hinabangan, both in Samar.
The city mayor was quick to say that while this year’s Sangyaw Festival will be bigger compare to previous years, they will see to it that they will not spend so much.
“We will be working on a limited budget as we asked sponsorship (from private companies),” she said.
She declined to say as to how much the city government has allocated for this year’s fiesta celebration.
Security will also be tight across the city during the month-long celebration, particularly in areas where there are activities being held, to ensure the safety of the public.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY — The National Food Authority (NFA) in the region is expecting to receive 12,000 metric tons (MT) of imported rice from Vietnam and Thailand starting June.
NFA Regional Director Henry Tristeza said the allocation will be coming from the 250,000 MT of rice purchased through government-to-government scheme.
The 12,000 MT of rice is equivalent to 240,000 bags.
“The new shipment will ensure us enough rice supply for at least six days if NFA will be the only source of staple food. That is not the case because we have enough stocks from commercial traders and households,” Tristeza said.
The volume is only a small fraction of the 60-day buffer stocks target as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.
The incoming stocks is expected to bring down the price of commercial rice in the market with the availability of NFA rice at only P27 and P32 per kilogram (kg), said Tristeza.
The NFA regional chief admitted the absence of NFA rice in the market contributed to the increase in the price of commercial rice in the region from an average of P40 per kg to P45 per kg.
For Rebecca Sulibaga, 44, from Barangay Lunang in the island town of Almagro, Samar, the higher prices of rice makes life difficult for their family of six supported by her husband’s PHP300 daily income from fishing.
“Now that rice is expensive, we have no choice, but to cut our budget for other food items, education, and fare. Another option is to borrow money from our friends and relatives,” Sulibaga said.
Pedicab driver Raul Piga, 35, from Youngfield village in this city said their hand-to-mouth existence has worsened as prices of basic food items such as rice went up.
“A big chunk of our budget goes to buying rice. Most of the time, our side dish is just lawlaw,” Piga said.
Lawlaw or fish paste is a kind of tiny sardine buried and preserved in salt, commonly eaten by impoverished families who have no other alternative to enhance the taste of rice.
The NFA has stopped selling rice in the six Eastern Visayas provinces last February due to dwindling stocks.
For the second batch of 250,000 MT of imported rice which was bid out through government-to-private (G2P) scheme this week, will bring another 12,000 mt of rice to the region.
NFA will announce winning bidder before end of May.
The government attempted to replenish stocks through the import of 250,000 MT but bidding failed in the last week of April.
The country reopened offers from the governments of Vietnam and Thailand early of May.
The NFA is sticking to its target of having the rice imports in the country within June. (with reports from PRINCESS ROSETTE CABONEGRO and CHANDA MAE DIALINO, OJTs)

BY: SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA

First Filipina to win the title

TACLOBAN CITY – A native of Catbalogan City who is now based in London was crowned as this year’s Miss Summer World 2018 held in Albania.
Kacey Coleen Lim is the first from the Philippines and Asia to bag the title, besting more than 20 candidates from other counties during a glittering ceremonies held on May 20.
“It was only a dream and now I am finally living my dream, Lim shared in her Facebook account after winning the crown.
She also bagged the Miss Summer Asia award and Best in National Costume which was designed by award-winning Tacloban based-designer Nick Guarino.
“I would have not been able to do it on my own, so I am forever thankful to a lot of people who have been very supportive to me all along. First of all to my camp The Royalty’s UK headed by our beauty queen maker Mr. Romulo Tan Palma, Mr. Nick Guarino for my national costume, and Pasarela London for my evening gown,” Lim said.
The candidate from Portugal was declared as first runner-up while Miss Georgia was named as 2nd runner-up. Also in the winning circle were the representatives of Ukraine (3rd runner-up); Gambia, 4th runner-up; and Albania, 5th runner-up.
Although the pageant, now on its third year, was far from the Philippines, she said that she felt the support of the Filipinos through the messages that she received during the entire pageant.
Lim, who finished political science degree at the University of the Philippines, is currently in London pursuing Law Program at the BPP University Law School as she dreamed to become a full-fledge lawyer in United Kingdom.
Before studying in London, Lim used to work at the City Mayor’s Office in Catbalogan where among her jobs was to organized events for the city such as the month-long activities for the Manaragat Festival held every month of August.
Lim is the second beauty queen from Eastern Visayas to win an international crown this year after Miss Eco International Cynthia Thomalla who is from Southern Leyte.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

LIMASAWA, Southern Leyte – The construction of a solar power plant in this historic island-municipality will bring more improvement to their locality, thus said its mayor.
The National Power Corporation (Napocor) had its groundbreaking last March for the P54 million 120 kilowatt solar power project awarded to Power Dimension Inc.
Limasawa is currently powered by a diesel power plant operated by the Napocor which now runs 24-hours a day from the 18-hours operation last year.
The diesel power plant produces 700 kW which is enough to meet the island’s power demand.
The diesel power plant is serving a total of 1,200 household-consumers through the Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative Inc.
“Hopefully, this will lower the rates on electric bills of Limasawa residents,” Mayor Melchor Petracorta said.
The town mayor added that this will also help in attracting more businessmen to invest in the island that is largely banking on tourism as alternative source of income.
Limasawa residents are mostly fishermen while some are government workers.
Tourism is the alternative source of income in the island which is known to be where the First Catholic Mass in the Orient was held by the group of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 which will have its 500 year anniversary on 2022.
Due to increasing number of tourists visiting the island, there is a good number of lodging facilities and inns established by local investors to cater on tourists’ needs resulting in the increase of electricity demand.
But the biggest contribution of the solar power plant once it starts its operation is on environmental protection, he said.
“There is no carbon emission in solar power. It reduces carbon emission so this is good for our environment,” Petracorta said.
The solar power project is estimated to be finished by September or November this year.
Aside from the solar power plant project, Limasawa is also expected to receive this year two units of 200kW and two units of 300kW generator sets as part of the Napocor’s capacity addition program and to build its own fuel oil storage tank to ensure continuous supply even during time of extreme weather conditions. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)