TACLOBAN CITY – The province of Leyte was the top chicken producer in Eastern Visayas for the fourth quarter of 2018, a report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA–8) said.
Wilma Perante, PSA regional director, told Leyte Samar Daily Express in an interview that among the six provinces of the region, Leyte recorded the highest chicken population at 894,477 birds which comprised more than one third or 35.4 percent of the total chicken population in the region.
Samar ranked second with 693,208 birds accounting for 27.5 percent of the region’s total chicken inventory. Eastern Samar, meanwhile, registered the lowest inventory of chicken with 4.7 percent share or 117,668 birds.
Perante reported that the chicken industry in Eastern Visayas posted 20.0 percent increase in production during the fourth quarter of 2018.
Based on the preliminary data, the total chicken production in the region went up to 15,602 metric tons (MT) in the 4th quarter of 2018 from 13,006 MT in the same quarter of 2017.
“Eastern Visayas accounted for 3.1 percent of the country’s total chicken production during the 4th quarter of 2018. It ranked eighth among the regions with low chicken production in the country,” Perante said.
Meanwhile, chicken inventory showed that chicken population here in the region as of 1 January 2019 stood at 2,524,559 birds or an increase of 2.5 percent from its 2,463,777 inventory on 1 January 2018.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

Councilor Villasin eyes political harassment

TACLOBAN CITY- A councilor of this city is facing perjury complaint filed by her political opponents claiming she is not qualified to run as board member for Leyte’s second district.
But Raissa Villasin, serving on her second term as a member of Tacloban’s Sangguniang Panlungsod, dismissed the perjury complaint as nothing but political harassment.
On their complaint, Nestor Abrematea, Benjamin Villegas, and Florante Ygana alleged that Villasin committed perjury when she declared that since September 11, 2018, she has been residing in Barangay Cuta, Barugo town or for two years now while on her certificate of candidacy she has been living in the said village for two years and seven months.
The complainants, who filed their complaint Tuesday(March 12) before the City Prosecutor’s Office and at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office based in Carigara town, secured a certification from Tacloban City elections officer Ma. Goritti Caña stating that Villasin still casted her vote in the May 14, 2018 election in Tacloban City.
Tacloban City is a highly urbanized city whose residents are not qualified to vote or be voted upon for any provincial elective posts.
The three claimed that Villasin is guilty of perjury under Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code or a willful and corrupt assertion of falsehood under oath or affirmation administered by authority of law on a material matter.
Barugo municipal treasurer Dinah Avorque issued a certification that Villasin only secured a residence certificate on September 11, 2018 and municipal assessor Engr. Palcomar Canonce also issued a certification that the she has no real property in her name in their municipality.
Reached for her comment, Councilor Villasin dismissed the complaint filed against her saying it’s politically-motivated,citing the complainants were running for the same positions she is seeking for the May 13 elections.
She, however, said that she will answer the complaint once she formally receive of its copy. Still, she maintains that she did not commit any perjury.
Villasin added that she continue to function as a member of Tacloban city council as her term is set to expire yet on June 30,2019.
“Our family is taking this personally and there is no other reason but politics,” Villasin said, adding that she is confident that the complaint would be dismissed as it has not legal basis.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT, LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY-
It is here.
It has come.
The Universal Health Care (UHC) is now in Region 8, and as the whole country enforces the law in government hospitals, Eastern Visayas region is likewise set to provide sooner the “health care coverage” to all its citizens.
As an initial step, a series of information caravan will be held with PhilHealth08 leading, as told to media by Regional Vice President (RVP), Dr. Leo Douglas Cardona, Jr. on March 11, 2019.
According to Cardona, they are set to hold Information Education Campaign (IEC) in rural health units and government hospitals in the region, starting off with Samar Island’s health facilities down to the Leyte provinces.
“However, UHC will not be limited to government hospitals only,” he added. “This is precisely the main focus of PhilHealth8 in particular, to innovate, that private hospitals may soon support or cooperate, after all, it is a law”, Cardona pointed out.
“When President Rodrigo Duterte signed the law, it was his main agendum to provide quality, accessible and affordable health care to all Filipino citizens, thus, invitation is being made to private hospitals,” he added.
UHC grants every citizen eligibility with no ID required as they can access to preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative health service delivery.
‘No Balance Billing’ (NBB) is the word, when a patient can expect non-payment of hospital bills, only to some extent however, because when a patient opts to stay in a private room, that cannot be free of charge,” Cardona stressed.
NBB provides that “no other fees or expenses shall be charged or be paid for, by the indigent patient, above and beyond the “packaged rates” during their confinement period”.
By package rate means that there are certain items provided in the UHC which are granted to direct and indirect members, which is why the team will go around the region to explain UHC to implementers.
Further, UHC adheres to the Magsaysay maxim, that those who have less in life, should have more in law; that in the spirit of solidarity, those who can better afford, will have lesser discounts while the indigent ones would have more.
As to the professional health workers, they cannot be left out, contrary to some apprehensions with the implementation of UHC.
Asked what will happen to some monetary benefits that doctors and nurses used to get, out of their passion and hard work in caring for the sick, Cardona said, they will still receive in order to incentivize them.
“They should stay put in their hospital service and render the much needed health service,” he said.
“Give to Juan what is due him,” the head doctor of PhilHealth said. “Health workers in the rural areas, particularly those in geographically isolated areas will still get additional benefits as may be determined by local health boards, others by DOH.
Cardona detailed to media that funds for UHC implementation will be sourced from the Philippine Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) (50%), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (40%) the rest from members’ contribution and subsidies from sin taxes.
Lastly, he proudly shared that part of PhilHealth8’s innovation is to tie up with Philippine Statistics Office, LGUs and private hospitals soonest. (PIA-08/ANicart)

The National Maritime Polytechnic Quality Management System (NMP QMS) maintains its ISO 9001:2015 Certification after passing the Surveillance Audit conducted by the Anglo Japanese American (AJA) Registrar Limited, simultaneously at its main office in Tacloban City and liaison office in Makati City on 6 March 2019.
Eugene Herradura and Capt. Nicanor Altares, AJA auditors, reviewed NMP’s quality procedures, quality manuals, and other systems documentation as against the standards.
The areas that were examined include registration and certification procedures; course delivery; assessment / examination; documentation, conduct of maritime researches; performance monitoring and assessment; provision of resources; and other administrative support services during the audit.
During the exit meeting, Herradura, audit team leader, expressed his appreciation for the NMP’s established QMS, proper documentation as well as the support and commitment of the top management for the continual improvement of its QMS. But somehow the audit report raised some observations and a minor non-conformity.
Thirty calendar days is given to NMP to submit the plan of action together with the objective evidence in addressing the non-conformance.
Nonetheless, the NMP QMS was recommended for continued certification.
NMP Executive Director Joel Maglunsod also acknowledged the contributions of all NMP employees for the continual improvement of the Agency’s QMS.
“Thank you for all that you do, this was made possible through the concerted efforts of everyone”, he said.
As a maritime training center providing quality delivery of services to Filipino seafarers, NMP aggressively pursued for the establishment of its QMS in compliance with the requirements of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping Convention (STCW) 1978.
Its first ISO Registration Certificate was obtained in April 2000. Since then, the NMP QMS has undergone continuous certification and surveillance audits, passed and was eventually re-certified over the years under ISO 9001: 1994, ISO 9001: 2000, ISO 9001: 2008, and the latest in 2018 under ISO 9001:2015.
The implementation of the NMP QMS is also in adherence to Executive Order (EO) No. 161 dated 05 October 2006 as amended by EO No. 605 dated 23 February 2007, which directs the institutionalization of quality management system in the government.
It can be recalled that in 2009, NMP received a special recognition from the Office of the President for being one of the forty (40) government offices across the country to be ISO-certified. Also in 2015, the Agency earned a commendation from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for continuously improving the efficiency and effectiveness of its quality system.
Meanwhile, NMP continues to upgrade its facilities and provide maritime trainings required pursuant to the STCW Convention as amended in 2010 including value-adding courses towards improving the qualifications of Filipino seafarers for their employment acceptability and enhanced competitiveness. It also regularly conducts maritime studies to come up with policies for the improvement of the manpower sector of the industry.
Those interested in NMP research undertakings may visit the NMP website (www.nm.gov.ph) and access the e-Research Information System Portal which is designed to gather inputs for NMP’s research, dissemination of NMP completed researches and other articles pertaining to maritime research. (PR)

In Northern Samar

CATARMAN, Northern Samar- The Northern Samar Electric Cooperative (Norsamelco) has lowered its electricity rates from P12.27 per kilowatt hour (kwh) to P9.38/kwh effective February this year.
The downward adjustment means a decrease of P578 in the bill of a typical household consuming 200 kwh per month. On households and commercial establishments consuming 500 kwh, a reduction of P1,445 is expected.
Engr. Hector Tabilisma, project supervisor and acting general manager of Norsamelco, attributed the decrease of P2.85/kWh to the commencement of a long-term power supply contract procured through Competitive Selection Process (CSP) conducted in 2015 including the 10 electric cooperatives in the region.
Tabilisma hopes that this development will attract more investors to do business in the province.
“The rate reduction will greatly enhance the investment climate in Northern Samar. At present, power rate in Manila is higher compare to our power rate,” he said.
Tabilisma expressed his utmost thanks to the leadership of the provincial government of Northern Samar for their support in making Norsamelco a stable electric cooperative.
“Governor Jun Ong has been very supportive, as well as Vice Governor Gary Lavin and all the board members. All our initiatives are being supported by them. They even passed a resolution regarding our restructuring plan,” he said.
From being an ailing D-rated cooperative, Norsamelco has greatly improved since 2013 and is now rated A by the National Electrification Administration (NEA), two notches away from the highest rating of AAA.
It can be recalled that the debt of the cooperative to the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) rose to more than P641 million in 2013, prompting NEA to intervene and took over the management and operations.
NEA installed Engr. Hector Tabilisma as acting general manager in July 2013 while allegations of mismanagement and corruption led to the resignation of its board of directors in August of that year.
Gov. Ong is glad of the improvement and stability that Norsamelco now enjoys, and hopes that somehow it will help improve the quality of lives of the people of the province.
“We are so proud of the gains of Norsamelco. At the start of my term as governor, I was one of many who opposed of having a board of directors, and turning over the management of the cooperative to them. I commend the leadership of Engr. Tabilisma for having resuscitated the cooperative from near dissolution,” the governor said.
Recently, the proposal to elect a new set of board of directors was again raised but Gov. Ong expressed his opposition on this.
“I believe that rushing to elect a new set of board of directors at this crucial time where Norsamelco is just rebuilding is counterproductive and something the cooperative can do without for now. In fact, this sentiment has also been expressed by our Sangguniang Panlalawigan through a resolution. The many businesses coming to invest in the province is a good indication of the current strong leadership at the cooperative’s helm,” Gov. Ong stressed.

Tabilisma also expressed gratitude to Representatives Edwin Ong and Raul Daza for personally lobbying to PSALM to approve the restructured loan payment plan of the cooperative which led to the signing of a restructuring agreement last November 26, 2018.

He added that the long-term power supply contract with GN Power Dinginin Ltd. Company which started this year will ensure a secure and dependable electric power supply for the province.
“Our investors can be assured of a stable power supply in the province at a low power rate,” Tabilisma said. (JENNIFER SUMAGANG ALLEGADO)