TACLOBAN CITY – A candle lighting memorial activity was held last May 21 at the City Hall grounds in observance of the 35th Philippine International AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) Candlelight Memorial 2018.
Present during the activity were Department of Health (DOH) Assistant Regional Director Paula Paz Sydiongco, City Government Special Health Concerns In-Charge Dr. Gloria Fabrigas, who represented Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez, and City Health Officer Dr. Jaime Opinion, Jr.
Peers groups organized by the City Population Office also attended the activity which highlighted a film showing and a talk on the deadly pandemic.
In an update presented by Dr. Opinion, it was learned that Tacloban has been categorized as C.
The health officer also underscored the initiatives of the city government and the institutionalization of the AIDS Council.
The event was held to remember those who died of AIDS and promote awareness on the deadly disease.
The late afternoon event was spearheaded by the City Government under Mayor Romualdez in cooperation with local AIDS advocacy group REHAG. (HENRY JAMES G.ROCA/CIO)

TACLOBAN CITY – Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director General Nela Charade Puno solicited help from the law enforcement agency and local chief executives in the region in the implementation of their Consumer Protection Advocacy program.
Puno clarifies that their agency is not policing everyone but only making sure that the law is properly implemented why they are asking support from law enforcers.
“FDA is not a barrier to trade (as) our mission is to ensure the quality and safety of products and at the same time, the consumers are protected the reason why we enforce the law,” Puno said.
FDA is tapping the help of the Philippine National Police (PNP) as the lead agency in enforcing the law and the mayors who approves licenses and permits.
FDA and the PNP is implementing the Task Force D-PUNCH which stands for ‘Destroy Products Unfit for the Consumption of Humans’ which aim to minimize, if not eradicate counterfeit, unregistered, adulterated and misbranded health products in the market that pose danger to life, health and safety of the public.
For the local chief executives, the FDA is reaching out to them to disseminate the forwarded advisories intended for the public.
“I am looking forward for more collaboration and ensured public health and public safety. It is important that we are able to explain everything so that people will know the consequences if they will not follow the law,” Puno said during her speech during a gathering here on May 24.
Puno added that one of the marching orders of President Rodrigo Duterte to the FDA is to confiscate counterfeit products that poses harm to the health and safety of the users and file economic sabotage charges against the makers and producers of the bogus products.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

BORONGAN CITY-Eastern Samar State University (ESSU) expects rise in enrolment with the implementation of Republic Act No. 10931 in all campuses in Eastern Samar this school year 2018-2019.
Dr. Edmundo A. Campoto, president of ESSU, said that although they started the free tuition last year, free miscellaneous fees will be implemented this upcoming school year.
Campoto added that to avail of the free tuition and miscellaneous fees, enrolling students should pass the entrance exam.
Rebecca Macawile, 45, a mother of two college students, is happy about this project.
“This free education will help the poor families obtain higher education that could change their lives,” said Macawile.
Her children are enrolled in ESSU-Salcedo.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed into law on August 3, 2018 Republic Act No. 10931, otherwise known as the “Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act” which exempts students enrolled SUCs, LUCs and technical-vocational schools from paying tuition and other school fees.
(JNPD/SDC/PIA-E.Samar)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office 8 convened the employers and some employees from the hotel and restaurant industry last May 18, 2018 at the Leyte Park Hotel, this city.
The one-day activity dubbed as “Orientation on Effective Techniques on how to comply with Labor Laws, Rules and Regulations” was attended by more than 40 participants representing 13 hotels and 27 restaurants and food chains in Tacloban City.
OIC-Regional Director Cyril L. Ticao of DOLE 8 welcomed the participants and gave the overview of the activity.
He expressed his gratitude to all the employers and employees’ representatives and likewise sought their cooperation and support to the agency’s efforts to respond to the call of regularization.
“With this orientation, we intend to assist you on how you’ll be able to comply with our labor laws putting emphasis on security of tenure and regularization”, said Ticao during his opening remarks.
Aside from the discussion on the different issuances of the department such as D.O. 174, 178 and 184, presentations on inspection forms and preparation of action plan were also provided. Moreover, participants were informed about the Skills Registry System and Public Employment Information System (PEIS).
The session was capped off with an open forum wherein questions and concerns were answered and addressed. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY-Ahead of the June 4 school opening, teachers, parents, students and volunteers dirtied their hands in cleaning school rooms and grounds to ensure that students will have their first day in school inside their classrooms.
Here in the city, thousands have joined the six-day ‘Brigada Eskwela’ activity which started Monday (May 28).
At the Rizal Central School, one of the biggest elementary schools in the city, parents and their students joined with school personnel in the clean-up activity.
Greg Galos, school principal, said that he was glad that parents of their students joined the activity which is to end on June 2, two days before the start of the 2018-2019 school term.
According to him, because of the donation from their volunteers, they were able to raise half a million pesos last year.
And they expect that for this year’s Brigada Eskwela, they could surpass what they have collected last year.
He said that with their increasing number of students, the schools need additional school buildings.
At the Leyte National High School, considered the biggest secondary school in the region in terms of students’ population, parents and students also joined the Brigada Eskwela or school maintenance week.
“As of now, we are repainting and restoring the classrooms and tables and cutting grasses so that students will be comfortable during the start of classes,” Jennylind Daya, Balik- Eskwela coordinator, said.
Daya said that during last year’s Brigada Eskwela, LNHS was able to generate about P700,000 worth of donations from parents and donors.
“We seek for the support from the stakeholders especially from the parents to come and join our brigada activity. Also, we encourage them to educate their children to be discipline in waste management in case they’re in school,” she said.
VJ Esplago, a Grade 10 student and a member of Student Supreme Government, said that Brigada Eskwela is a big help as students could expect formal start of classes and would not worry of cleaning their classrooms during the first days of classes.
Brigada Eskwela is a program of the Department of Education(DepEd) which is done ahead of the school opening. It encourages involvement of all stakeholders in the community to help clean-up of schools.
The activity is also a way of the DepEd to instil the spirit of volunteerism among the public. (REJOY R. TORALBA, SHELLA MAE D. ASTORGA, DHEMA NINA O.IGAY, NwSSU Student Interns)

MAASIN CITY-The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has earmarked P2.7 million as its counterpart fund for the special program for employment of students (SPES) this summer time in the province.
According to labor inspector Marlo Sible of the DOLE-Southern Leyte, the amount represents 40 percent share of DOLE for the expected 801 SPES beneficiaries province-wide, while the other 60 percent would be the share of the concerned local government unit (LGU) which would hire students or even non-students.
SPES is a regular job placement program provided by the labor department during summer and Christmas vacation school breaks, in close cooperation with LGUs and private establishments as willing partners, so beneficiaries can earn money to buy school supplies and other needs for the incoming school year.
Sible said the basic requirements to be eligible as SPES grantee are the following: at least 15 but not more than 30 years old; must have a passing grade; for out-of-school youth there must be a certification from the local DSWD; and annual income of parents is not more than P 127,000 for Region 8.
“Interested individuals are advised to coordinate with the public employment service officer (PESO) in their respective cities or municipalities,” Sible informed. (JNPD/MMP/PIA-8, Southern Leyte)