CAMP CARLOS DELGADO, Catarman, Northern Samar- Two men were arrested by the police personnel of the Catarman Police Station for possession of materials used in illegal fishing.
Arrested on June 14 were Johny Foster,38, and Osias Deqiaros, 23, both residents of Barangay Cawayan, Catarman.
The two were arrested by the local police led by Supt. Michael Jude Dotinco,in actual possession of prohibited paraphernalias in violation of Municipal Ordinance 2013-43-04.
Seized from them were one mesh net; two 14mm nylon ropes; three wooden oars; one Honda motorboat engine 5.5 horse power; one motor boat and 4 ½ kilogram of assorted fish with an estimated amount of P580.
All confiscated paraphernalia was amounting to P15,580.
The confiscated items and the assorted fish were turned over to MAESO while the apprehended suspects were brought to Catarman municipal police station for proper disposition.
(PO1 JOHN RICKY M. BALANDAY/PR)

Conducted by Samar’s 1st engineering office

CALBAYOG CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways – Samar First District Engineering Office with the Regional Office No. 8 – Road Traffic Information Applications (RTIA) Coordinator conducted the Annual Axle Load Survey along Daang Maharlika in Barangay Cagsalaosao, this city from June 3 to 9, 2018.
Axle load is the total weight transmitted to the road by wheels connected to the axle of a vehicle. The axle load survey establishes load distribution and accurate forecast on traffic loading that a road will have to carry over its entire design life.
Traffic flow in the above-mentioned road section was normal as the load axle survey uses a new weighing motion scale allowing loaded trucks to be weighed without disrupting the motorists using the same road section.
A loaded truck rolls on the weighing scale while the attached monitor records the truck’s gross weight and axle load. The survey team also takes note of the truck’s plate number, number of seats, and load capacity.
The raw data collected will be submitted to the Regional Office for consolidation. Then, the consolidated data will be sent to the Central Office to determine the average axle load. If the average axle load is determined to be higher than established parameters, the thickness of the pavement will be revised to accommodate the change in axle load experience by the road.
Currently, the nationwide standard of thickness for pavement design is 28 centimeters.
“With Calbayog City’s recent economic developments, the infrastructure needs to keep up. This survey comes at an opportune time as it will help us design and build better roads for the public,” said District Engineer Alvin Ignacio. (MAE ANGELICA R. COMOTA,PIO Staff/PR)

TACLOBAN CITY – The City of Tacloban celebrated its 65th Charter Day Anniversary last June 12, simultaneous with the 120th Philippine Independence Day Celebration.
The city government under Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez led the twin celebrations which highlighted a Holy Mass and the traditional flag raising and floral offering ceremonies.
A Holy Mass was held at the Sto. Niño Parish Church attended by City Hall officials and employees started the celebration.
Following the Holy Mass was a flag raising ceremony and floral offering at the Plaza Rizal with members of the Sangguniang Panglungsod, regional directors, representatives of civic and professional organizations and students was held.
During the program, Mayor Romualdez’s independence and Charter day messages was read by Executive Assistant Pinky Brosas.
“Pagbabagong ipinaglaban, alay sa masaganang kinabukasan,” was the theme of this year’s Independence Day Celebration.
Tacloban City is celebrating its 65th cityhood anniversary this year, having been proclaimed a Chartered City by virtue of Republic Act No. 760 on June 20, 1952, signed by then Pres. Elpidio Quirino.
It took effect on June 12, 1953. The late House Speaker Daniel Z. Romualdez sponsored the law converting Tacloban into a Chartered City.
At present Tacloban, which is considered to be among the most competitive cities in the country, is poised for more progress and development with the entry of more investors.
Under Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez and ten years as a highly urbanized city, Tacloban is experiencing a business boom which is transforming the lone HUC in Eastern Visayas into one of the most viable cities in the country today.
To date, the income of the city government — the internal revenue allotment and the local revenue sources included amounts to more than a billion pesos.
(HENRY JAMES ROCA/CIO)

TACLOBAN CITY — At least eight major concerns related to resettlement have been raised by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ survivors in Leyte and Samar provinces during the grassroots consultations initiated by the Office of the President.
These issues are defective housing units, location of houses vulnerable to flooding and landslides, lack of water, no electricity connection, non-availability of sustainable livelihood, no police visibility, poor drainage system, and lack of government facilities.
For the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), the agency tasked to supervise rehabilitation projects after the 2013 catastrophe, these issues are not new, however, after the dialogues, concerned agencies came up with agreements to curb the problem.
“A lot of issues are recurring, but with the intervention of the Office of the President, we are expecting that these will be properly addressed,” said NEDA Regional Director Bonifacio Uy.
Presidential Assistant Wendel Avisado, the official assigned by President Rodrigo Duterte to oversee post-Yolanda rehabilitation efforts, led the grassroots consultations from March 19 to April 27, 2018.
Dialogues have been held in Tacloban City; Guiuan, Eastern Samar; Balangiga, Eastern Samar; Basey, Samar; Carigara, Leyte; Isabel, Leyte; Naval, Biliran; and Silago, Southern Leyte.
For instance, on substandard houses, Avisado asked beneficiaries to list specific defects of houses and submit to the National Housing Authority (NHA).
The official ordered NHA to convey the concerns to developer for “immediate rectification.”
NEDA-Eastern Visayas gave a copy of the issues and suggestions to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Thursday.
On lack of facilities such as schools and health centers, this concern will be addressed by the inter-agency committee both in the national and local levels.
On water supply shortage, Avisado asked the Department of Public Works and Highways to add the volume of water delivery, the same list showed.
For long-term solution, local governments were told to link with Local Water Utilities Authority for implementation of water supply projects.
The consultation gathered issues and concerns encountered by survivors in resettlement sites and convene various government instrumentalities to identify interventions that will ensure sustainability of resettlement projects and improve their quality of life.
Each consultation was attended by 120 participants composed of beneficiaries of resettlement projects, local and national government officials, and representatives of civil society organizations.
On November 8, 2013, super typhoon Yolanda unleashed its wrath in central Philippines, killing around 6,300 people and leaving more than 4.4 million people displaced and homeless.
Tacloban City, the regional hub of Eastern Visayas region, was considered as “Yolanda’s” ground zero.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The city government of Tacloban through Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez has extended assistance to 105 individuals who were displaced by the fire that razed several houses in Brgy. 20 corner Burgos Del Pilar St., last Saturday, June 9, 2018.
The City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) headed by Remedios Buna distributed Sunday, June 10, food packs and non-food items to 30 families affected by the fire that started 9:30 pm and was declared fire out an hour after.
Among the non-food items that were given to the victims were cooking utensils, clothing, blankets, mats and Hygiene Kits.
Meanwhile, Leyte First District Representative Yedda K. Romualdez also distributed financial assistance to 18 house owners amounting to P5,000 each.
Authorities reported that the damages caused by fire amounted to more than P1 million.
There was no reported death or injury from the incident. Eight families affected by the fire are temporarily sheltered at the Tacloban City Pilot Evacuation Center in Abucay.
(HENRY JAMES ROCA/CIO)

CATARMAN, Northern Samar- Senator Cynthia Villar said that protecting the already fragile environment of the country and the rest of the world is very important.
And she is thankful that there are still groups like the Philippine Environmental Science Association (PESA) which gives importance in preserving the environment through their various research works, Villar, who is the chairperson of the committee on environment at the Senate said Thursday (June 13).
“The goal for which the PESA was organized is to strengthen the value of environmental science as an inter-disciplinary field in analyzing and providing solutions to the perennial environmental problems of the country,” Villar said in her speech at the 7th Annual International Conference on Environmental Science held at the University of Eastern Philippines, this town.
Villar added that it is good to note that the youth particularly the students of the member-universities of PESA are not only concerned about the problems of the environment but are committed in finding solutions.
The senator believed that science through research and technology plays a very important role in solving various problems in various fields and sectors.
She further added that she supports PESA’s pro- active stance to continuously upgrade and advance the level of environmental science research an actions to address the environmental problems affecting the country.
She also appreciated that the conference tackled key environmental topics and issues such as climate change, bio diversity and conservation, disaster risk management and sustainable solutions.
Villar pointed out that the inputs, ideas and innovations that will result from the three-day conference will affect or solve not only environmental problems will also benefit many other sectors.
Villar stressed that protecting the environment is not just a concern of certain sector but by every individual.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)