MAASIN CITY – Expect a faster, safer and more convenient travel along Southern Leyte’s major highway with the near completion of P235.79 million road widening project.
This road expansion project covers about seven kilometers of the national highway located in Otikon-Mayuga road section in Libagon town.
DPWH Southern Leyte district engineering office chief Ma. Margarita Junia said the widening of this existing road network is now 90 percent done. It is up for completion in the first week of January 2019.
Otikon-Mayuga road forms part of the national highway in Libagon town connecting to commercial district in Sogod and Liloan towns. This primary road section also provides a significant link to motorists travelling from Luzon to Mindanao.
“We are speeding up the construction and conversion of the two-lane road into a four-lane highway to accommodate the increasing number of vehicles passing through this major thoroughfare,” Junia said.
This project adds 3.35 meters to both side of the highway. The existing width is 6.7 meters.
Along with the highway capacity expansion is the construction of slope protection and loading and unloading bay area, application of thermoplastic pavement markings, and installation of concrete hollow block lined canal and safety devices such as chevron, guardrails, and warning signs.
“Once we complete our road widening projects in Libagon section, we will continue building a four-lane highway leading to Liloan,” Junia said.
Upgrading roads and pursuing new highway projects are in line with the department’s goal to sustain its proficiency on the Performance Governance System (PGS) and to contribute in achieving a sustainable development in the country. (PR/FMMT)

TACLOBAN CITY- The year 2018 is turning out to be a fruitful year for the city of Tacloban.
Thus said City Mayor Cristina Romualdez, citing several awards and citations garnered by the city government.
“I thank the Lord for the many blessings we got and the trials we went through. Despite the many challenges Tacloban City went through the years, the local government of Tacloban garnered various awards and recognitions as the only highly urbanized city in region 8,” she said.
Under Mayor Romualdez leadership, the city of Tacloban has received various recognitions from agencies as partner to urban development, to mention some: Cooperative Development Authority (CDA)- Gawad Parangal 2018 “Hall of Fame Award”, as the champion in cooperative best practices; garnered 1st place award for three successive years as the best performing LGU Cooperative Development Office (in recognition for the increasing support in building a cooperative community & empowering coops through development programs).
And three other CDA awards as national nominee to the CDA Parangal Award; 1st place as best performing LGU Cooperative Office HUC Category and Gawad Parangal special citation award given to Mayor Romualdez as the LGU Cooperative Development Champion all awarded during the CDA Gawad Parangal Awarding Ceremony 2018 held October at Novotel, Manila.
Also judged twice for two consecutive years as the best dressed booth during the 28th and 29th Philippine Travel Mart (PHILTOA) held at SMX Convention Center, Manila Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. The booth was designed and created by the Guarino brothers.
Tacloban City likewise bagged the 1st place to this year’s 20th Regional Gawad Kalasag Best Government Emergency Response Management Urban Category held July 31, 2018 at the Summit Hotel, as part of the disaster awareness month and in recognition to the outstanding contributions rendered in disaster risk reduction and humanitarian assistance.
Last October, Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) approved the City’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan 2017 to 2025.
Tacloban city government was one among the region’s 2017 eligible city on child friendly local governance best practices and lessons learned on children’s rights.
The city government under Mayor Romualdez established its Sto. Niño City Hall Satellite Office extending basic services to dwellers of the northern barangays of the city aside from the main City hall Offices and the Supermarket MASA offices.
Fish ports were upgraded as newly- installed supermarket building located along Quezon Boulevard provides stalls for fish and vegetable/fruit vendors.
And a ‘Triple A’ slaughterhouse at Brgy. Salvacion will replace the old slaughter house of the city soon.
Out of the 14,000 units needed for socialized housing, 80% of the houses were awarded to survivors of Yolanda by the National Housing Authority. Biddings likewise are underway to put a water supply system for Yolanda Resettlement sites and pipeline rehab replacement in some parts of the City with the present administration support.
According to Mayor Romualdez, the solid waste management program, once implemented in the barangay level, will give a potential source of income for them. Every barangay of the city will now focus more on materials recovery and recycling.

Recently the city has awarded 52 garbage collector pedicabs to pilot barangays in the collection of segregated waste materials. Pilot barangays initially are tasked to collect and segregate garbage disposals to its materials recovery facilities (MRFs).
(GAY B. GASPAY-TISAT/KANHURAW MEDIA CENTER)

TACLOBAN CITY- Contrary to perception, the town of Matuguinao in Samar is a peaceful place.
But its tranquility is being ‘disturbed’ by some groups in the town as they are sowing fear among her people, Mayor Melissa de la Cruz said in an interview.
de la Cruz, who is running for vice mayor in next year’s elections, thus appeal these groups not to stalk fear among her people.
“Matuguinao is a very peaceful place but there are really individuals who want to disturb our peace and order situation. They are sowing fear among my people,” the third-termer mayor said.
The situation in Matuguinao was highlighted after former mayor Aran Boller, who is running for the same post in next year’s election, was reportedly ambushed in Catbalogan City by still unidentified armed men on November 18.
Boller, who is a relative of Mayor de la Cruz, was hit at his right hand.
The lady mayor, however, downplayed the incident involving her political rival.
She said that she find it ridiculous that Boller was only hit at his right hand by the perpetrator.
“If the suspect is bent on killing him, he could have been shot that would ensure his death,” she said.
Mayor de la Cruz also dismissed allegations that she could be behind on the incident.
“Why will I do that? I don’t have any capacity to do that. We don’t have any private armed group contrary to what my opponent is falsely spreading,” she said.
According to de la Cruz, there is no reason for her to resort to violence as she believes that majority of the people of Matuguinao supports their family.
The outgoing town mayor also issued an appeal to officials of both the Philippine National Police and the Army in the region to give focus on her town saying ‘several’ killing incidents in their town remain unsolved and for them to stop the presence of private armed group there.
Boller was defeated by de la Cruz for mayor in 2010 and 2013 elections.
For next year’s elections, de la Cruz sister, Carmel, who is the incumbent vice mayor, will face Boller for the mayoralty post.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

PALO, Leyte- About 3, 000 barangay nutrition scholars (BNS) from Leyte and Samar provinces attended a two-day regional conference held on October 11-12, 2018 at the Leyte Academic Center here with Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla as guest of honor and speaker.
The Conference had for its theme”BNS: Bida ng Nutrition, Noon, Ngayon, at Bukas!”
Members of the Harmonized Initiative for the Spread of Good Nutrition in Region Eight (HIMSOG-8) also graced the event.
The group is composed of active tri-media practitioners in the region and the media components of the National Nutrition Council-8 as its media arm in the dissemination and promotion of the good and the best nutrition practices.
Regional federation president Lydia Nuñez welcomed the participants and the public during the opening program which was also attended by NNC-8 officials headed by Dr. Catalino P. Dotollo Jr., regional nutrition program coordinator and nutrition officer Niño Archie S. Labordo, among others.
In his message, Gov. Petilla related that when he first assumed office as governor in June 2013, he attended a well-conducted project called the Visayas Nutrition Forum that tackled the prevalence of schistosomiasis and malnutrition cases in Leyte.
Gov. Petilla summed up the healing and caring experience saying that through proper nutrition feeding and deworming assistance, 85% of the affected population returned to their normal weights after six months of intensive case follows-ups.
The Visayas Nutrition Forum, he recalled, paved the way for the coming to Leyte of other volunteer-missions under the auspices of the United Nation (UN).
“I congratulate and thank the BNS Volunteer to a job well done. For their dedication and humanitarian concern; for the sick who are obviously poverty- stricken, and for their love for Region 8,” Petilla said. (ALBERTO E. LESIGUEZ)