TACLOBAN CITY-The City Veterinary Office (CVO) reiterated once more the importance of responsible pet ownership and announced the schedule of their anti-rabies vaccination drive for the remaining days of December.

According to CVO Head Dr. Eunice Alcantara, if owners will take responsibility for their pets, probable rabies cases will be mitigated.

The last reported case of rabies in Tacloban City was in 2020 in Barangay Basper.
She also added that there will be no stray dog-related road accidents and their dog pound operations will decrease.

The official disclosed that CVO’s impounding services net an average of 10 stray dogs during their operations.

In a report from the Office on their dog pound operations, a total of 2,392 dogs had been voluntarily surrendered or caught as of November this year. Of the total number, only 53 were redeemed by their owners, while the rest were euthanized.

Meanwhile, the schedule of the anti-rabies vaccination drives is as follows: Dec. 14-15 at Brgy. 62-B; Dec. 16-19 at Brgy. 59-A; Dec. 21-23 at Brgy. 84 San Jose; and Dec. 26-30 at Brgy. 87 San Jose.

On the other hand, the CVO offers free 5 neuter services and 1 spay service at their office daily, during office hours. Those interested will only need to send a message to the official Facebook page of the veterinary office to register.

Lastly, the official encouraged pet owners to register their dogs to take advantage of the free services of the veterinary office. Dog registration is mandated under the animal code of Tacloban City.

“Waray layaw nga ayam kun may ada responsable nga pet owner,” said the City veterinarian.

Under Sections 15.1, 27, and 28 of City Ordinance 2006-9-264, or the “Animal Code of Tacloban,” owners of stray dogs will face sanctions.
(HJ ROCA/TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)

TACLOBAN CITY– The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Leyte Second District Engineering Office (L2DEO) went through the international roughness index (IRI) survey on December 1-2, 2022, with no major findings noted.

The IRI was conducted by the department’s Bureau of Quality and Safety (BQS), headed by Engr.Michael Dayao and Mark Anthony Comota and were assisted by the district engineering office’ field engineers.

Among the projects inspected includes asset preservation program for rehabilitation/reconstruction/upgrading of damaged paved roads – Primary Roads along: (1) Daang Maharlika in Dulag, Leyte; (2) Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road and B. Network Development Road Widening – Primary Roads projects along (3) Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road (4) Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road in Capoocan, Leyte.

All four projects were implemented under the 2022 General Appropriations Act wherein the two rehabilitation projects are physically 100% completed, while the road widening projects are still ongoing.

The IRI is used by highway professionals throughout the world as a standard to quantify road surface roughness.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

The 15-day Basic Rope Rescue Training conducted at Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Regional Office 8 under the supervision of the Regional Director C/Supt. Adel de Paz Bautista, DSC has finally concluded today at the Tacloban City Fire Station, Apparatus Floor.
The graduation ceremony was graced by the Deputy Director of the Special Rescue Force, BFP National Headquarters, S/Supt. Reynolf A. Salvador, Jr., who served as its guest of honor and speaker.

The said BRTC Training with Class Number 137-2022 started from November 29, 2022 until December 13, 2022 and was participated by 27 fire officers assigned in different stations of Eastern Visayas.

Among the topics that were discussed on the entire training duration include Basic Rappelling, Basic Ropemanship, Fundamentals of Rope Rescue, Ascending Techniques, Low Angle Rescue Techniques, High Angle Rescue Techniques, and Traversing Techniques.

The guest of honor and speaker said in his message that part of the BRTC training is to put into the minds of the trainees that in any emergency responses, there must be a command and a leader to follow, to make the operations successful.

“We must work and practice as a team. Discipline, respect and following of the instruction from our leaders who are in command is a must. We also must be prepared to any emergency calls,” said S/Supt. Salvador.

Further, the graduation was also attended by officers and SRF personnel of BFP Region 8 headed by Supt.Randy M. Mendaros, chief, Search and Rescue Force and the command group to include S/Supt. Rodrigo A. Almaden, Jr., ARD for administration, and Supt. Frezeir A. Agarin, regional chief of staff.

Meanwhile, with the addition of these 27 brave BRTC graduates, the people of Eastern Visayas would be sure enough to have a quality service, especially from our Special Rescue Force.

At present, the BFP Region 8 already has a total of 160 SRF officers and personnel, who are assigned at cities and major towns in all of its component provinces.
(FO3 Rey G Grado, caretaker, Public Information Unit/PR)

TACLOBAN CITY – Eastern Visayas will be aggressively promoted and marketed next year as one of the top destinations for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions and events (MICE-E).

Representatives from local government units, accommodation facilities, tour operators, service providers, transport operators, event organizers are among those who were invited to a two-day training organized by the regional office of the Department of Tourism (DOT). – 8 in Palo town, Leyte.

The region has identified three MICE circuits- the Tacloban-Palo circuit and Ormoc-Baybay circuit, all in Leyte province; and the Catbalogan-Calbayog circuit located in Samar province as top destinations for MICE activities.

These areas were identified for MICE because of their existing facilities like convention centers and accommodation facilities.

Karina Rosa Tiopes, tourism regional director, said that while the region is moving toward promotion for MICE, organizers should not focus on hosting large events but rather medium-sized ones as the region still have no facilities that can accommodate a large number of people.

“Whatever we lack in terms of facilities we can compensate or even surpass in terms of experience, expectation of our guests through the kind of service that we have,” she said.
Tiopes also called on the participants to start working together and stop treating others as competitors as it reflects to the image of the region.

“We have to work harmoniously, we have to reach out to each other because this is the only way that we can put MICE at the forefront,” Tiopes stressed.

Tiopes added that bringing MICE activities in the region is a good start for tourism recovery as it bring in more people in a single event rather than waiting for tourists to come, which is seasonal.

Tiopes also informed the participants that as early as the first quarter of 2023, the region will be hosting several MICE activities, that includes national conventions, business conferences, and travel fairs.

Meanwhile, Philippine Exhibition and Trade Corporation (PETCO) president Marisa Nallana encouraged local government units who are participating the training to start doing inventory of their facilities.

Nallana said that it will be hard for them to promote the region as venue for MICE activities if they do not know what are the existing facilities the region has, the number of accommodation facilities, and the services being offered. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)