TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) will map out plans to further develop pili nuts in Northern Samar province, citing the product’s high demand in the global market.
Key officials of DA and Department of Trade and Industry(DTI) and other stakeholders will sit down to draft for the first time a pili nuts roadmap in the region, said Francisco Dayap, chief of DA regional field operations division.
“Northern Samar is the priority since the production have been established in that province considering their proximity to Bicol Region where many areas are known for pili planting. In fact, many pili nuts processors in Bicol get their raw materials in Northern Samar,” Dayap said.
Pili nuts is widely cultivated in the towns of Lavezares, Allen, San Isidro, and Bobon in Northern Samar. These towns are close to the seaport that links Northern Samar to Sorsogon.
The province has an estimated 15,000 pili trees planted in 90 to 100 hectares owned by local farmers.
“In the roadmap, we will outline how to support and reinforce the pili nuts production in the area, expand plantation, and improve productivity. One of the support we have been giving to farmers is the distribution of grafted planting materials that yield in three years,” Dayap added.
Each tree yields 60 to 100 kilograms each year. Harvesting is year round but peak harvest is June and July.
The Philippines has the monopoly for pili nuts on the foreign market. The product is exported to countries like South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
The pili nut is endemic in the country. It has a different uses from its tree that can be used for landscaping, the young shoots and the fruit pulp of pili are edible, its roots can prevents landslides, and many more.
Pili nuts also contain about 23 percent oil that may be used for lighting, cooking and in the manufacture of soaps, shampoos, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and industrial products. The shell makes an excellent cooking fuel and can be made into attractive ornaments.
The kernel is edible raw, roasted, fried or sugar-coated, and is also used in making cakes, puddings and ice cream.

As timber, the wood is characterized by fine striated grains making it very ideal for the manufacture of high quality furniture, wall panels, carved doors, and other wooden products. The rootstock could also be utilized for wood carvings and tool handles. (MELVA MAE C.MENIANO)

TACLOBAN CITY – The MASA Health Service Unit of the Tacloban City Government reported serving some 3,634 during the second quarter of this year.
Of the total number of patients served, 2, 259 were adults and 1,375 pediatrics.
Located on the second floor of the Tacloban City Public Market, the health unit offers free health services to indigent residents of the City.
From April to June, the unit conducted health education to its clientele on smoking cessation tuberculosis management and prevention, dengue; lifestyle modification, proper use of antibiotics and oral health.
Other health services offered by the office are community visits, pre-natal check-ups, HIV testing, drug dependency examination, physical examinations, PHILHEALTH profiling and referrals of patients to various health facilities.
Consultations were also made on patients with upper respiratory tract infection, hypertension, bronchial asthma, urinary tract infection, and pneumonia, among others during the same period.
Meantime, medical missions and outreach activities conducted by the health unit during the second quarter include one in Brgy. 68, the Divine Mercy Cooperative, and the Anti-Smoking/COPD spirometry testing held at the Tacloban City Training Center on April 13 and May 18, 2018.
Labs ko a Lawas ko, a healthy lifestyle advocacy program of the MASA Health Unit also led a number of activities like Zumba, BMI CBG testing, and medical consultation.
MASA is a priority program of Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez that seeks to improve healthy lifestyle, prevent diseases and alleviate the suffering of indigent Tacloban residents through its different programs and services.
(HENRY JAMES ROCA/CIO)

ORMOC CITY- This city is experiencing an economic boom and it seems, there’s no turning back.
Business leader Apple Alagon has this forecast on the business and investment prospects in the city under the administration of Mayor Richard Gomez.
“The investment atmosphere is picking up. I can’t say where we are for sure but business-wise, more people are coming to Ormoc to invest in businesses, franchise or homegrown,” said Alagon, who is now the elected president of Rotary Club of Ormoc Bay.
“We recently had a Local Government Unit-Ormoc Chamber Kapihan talk at the Multipurpose Hall sometime May this year. The talk was about ‘Preparing Ormoc Towards Urbanization’ where we acknowledged the presence of big players in the city,” she added.
Alagon, who owns JO’s Milagrina chain of restaurants, added that they have seen many opportunities for growth with the opening of Robinsons Place Ormoc in April and the upcoming SM Center and Metro Gaisano.
“Obviously, they see Ormoc City as a prime area where they can grow their businesses which also translates to more job opportunities and more tourists in the city,” she added.
In 2017, the city registered a total of 1,366 establishments.
As of July 19 this year, it has already 896 number of establishments.
In 2017, Ormoc has P1,226,341,583 total budget. For this year, it has increased to P1,320,923,786.
By next year, it will have P1,457,990,318 budget sourced out from Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), local sources, local economic enterprises, other sources, and share from the national coffer.
For its vibrant economy, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry dubbed Ormoc as the “Most Business-friendly city” in the region in 2005. (RONALD O. REYES)

PALO, Leyte — The construction of the P1.62 billion diversion road with flood control and drainage systems will push through in 2019 to decongest traffic and curb flooding in areas bordering this town and the regional capital.
The proposed 2.87-km., four-lane road along Candahug, Pawing and Campetic villages will be the first of its kind in Eastern Visayas designed to decongest traffic and stop perennial flooding.
“Floodwater remains in these areas for weeks. That is why these have been idle lands until now. The road and drainage project will convert vacant lots into prime commercial districts,” Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 8 (Eastern Visayas) Director Edgar Tabacon told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Friday.
The project, to be implemented in six packages next year, will mitigate massive flooding in highly-populated communities in Marasbaras, Caibaan, Calanipawan and V&G Subdivision in Tacloban City; Candahug, Pawing, and Campetic villages in Palo town.
This is an urgent project identified by the Regional Development Council as part of the department’s mandate to construct new roads to enhance the national road systems nationwide.
The road will serve as an alternative route from Tacloban City going to the eastern and western parts of Leyte, addressing heavy traffic at the junction of the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s regional office.
Palo, the nearest town to Tacloban, is the seat of most government departments, bureaus and regional offices in Eastern Visayas. It is also home to the offices of the ecclesiastical government of the Roman Catholic Church Archdiocese of Palo.
The infrastructure, included for funding in 2019, can be considered as a diversion road since it will start at a national secondary road leading to the airport (San Jose, Tacloban – Candahug, Palo Road) and ends at a national primary road (Maharlika Highway), Tabacon said.
Of the P1.62 billion proposed budget, P1.13 billion is intended for civil works and P490.18 million for right-of-way acquisition. The inclusion of outlay to acquire properties is expected to expedite the road construction phase, the official added.
Building alternative roads, widening, and connecting gaps along national roads has been the priority of Public Works Secretary Mark Villar to decongest traffic in two to three years. (SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

NAVAL, Biliran- The P100 million worth of project of road opening and concreting of access road going to Germohenes Waterfalls in Biliran, Biliran has started construction.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Biliran District Engineering Office (DEO) implemented the project under its 2018 Local Infrastructure Program (LIP) with a total length of 2.9-kilometers.
According to district engineer David Adongay Jr., the project covers the construction of 100- meter length spillway and a rehabilitation of 60-meter existing local road that was washed out by tropical storm ‘Urduja’ late last year.
From its construction date on June 3, 2018, the project has accomplished 3% as of June 30, 2018. Road excavation works is on-going on the said project.
It is under contract with Samarinan Construction and Development Corp. and EZJones Construction Inc., a joint venture firm.
Adongay said that the completion of the project will reduce the walking time from 4-5 hours to just 30 minutes to reach the beautiful Germohenes Waterfalls.
Biliran is known as an island of waterfalls with more than 30 waterfalls in its mountainous province.
The road opening and concreting of access road project going to Germohenes Waterfalls will add another tourist destination in the province of Biliran that will encourage more local and foreign tourists to visit the place.
The project is proposed to be completed in January 28, 2019.
Meanwhile, Adongay reported that under its 2018 project implementation, Biliran DEO has completed nine projects with 38 on-going and 13 Not-Yet-Started (NYS) projects with an overall accomplishment of 29.49% as of June 30, 2018.
Biliran DEO has a total projects of 60 with a budget amount of P1.6 billion under the General Appropriation Act (GAA) of year 2018. (PR)

CALBAYOG CITY – DPWH-Samar First District Engineering Office (SFDEO) undergoes 2nd quarter inspection of service vehicles and equipment on July 18, 2018.
Inspectors from the Regional Office, Terencio Regala and Ma. Luisa V. Pedrosa inspected 25 service vehicles assessing their cleanliness, accessories’ functions and updated Land Transportation Office (LTO) registrations as well as the driver’s license of the operators of these vehicles.
“This inspection ensures that the service vehicles used by this office are safe for the roads and that their drivers have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities in compliance with not only DPWH standards but also to the standards of other government agencies such as the LTO and Highway Patrol Group,” said Inspector Pedrosa.
On the last vehicle inspection conducted last April 24, 2018, SFDEO ranked 2nd place among the 13 District Engineering Offices in Region VIII because it satisfactorily complied with all of the standards required in the use and maintenance of its service vehicles.
The final findings and assessment for this quarter will be communicated back as soon as it is evaluated in the Regional Office.
(JASON DE LOS ANGELES)