ORMOC CITY-Agents from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) together with the station drug enforcement team of Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte police arrested a government employee in a buy-bust operation on Thursday (March 2).

Arrested during the sting operation was Ramil Clarin, 41 and said to be employed at the municipal government of Padre Burgos.

Recovered from the possession of the suspect were two sachets containing the suspected prohibited drug.

The suspect has been charged for violation of RA 9165, the Comprehensive Law against Illegal Drugs of 2002, and is now detained at the locked-up cell of Padre Burgos municipal police station.
(ROBERT DEJON)

ORMOC CITY-The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Biliran District Engineering Office (DEO) employees warmly welcome Engr. Irwin Antonio as its new assistant district engineer.

Antonio officially assumed his position on February 27, 2023, replacing Engr. Rosario B. Rosete.

Engr. Rosete reverted back to her old post as chief of the planning and design section of the Biliran district engineering office.

Meanwhile, Assistant District Engineer Alfredo Bollido will continue with his designation as OIC-District Engineer.

Bollido assumed the post upon the death of Engineer Ferdinand Briones last month.
Antonio said that his leadership style will always be in coordination with district engineer Bollido.

“I am here in Biliran to function as directed by the district engineer related to operation. I will consistently be talking to section chiefs, it might be personally or might be one on one, or I might be talking directly to the person concerned so that I can get an idea on the things that need to be addressed or improved,” he said.

Antonio also expressed his strong desire in helping Biliran district engineering office towards achieving a goal by emphasizing the importance of teamwork and commitment.
Prior to his assignment to Biliran DEO, Antonio was formerly the assistant district engineer of DPWH-Leyte 4th district office based in Ormoc City.
(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY– The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has allotted P1.626 billion in its 2023 General Appropriation Act (GAA) to the Leyte Second District Engineering Office (Leyte 2 DEO) for the construction of infrastructure projects for the second district of Leyte.

District Engineer Leo Edward Oppura reported that the allotted budget is composed of 71 projects, of which 9 are now ongoing and the remaining projects are under detailed engineering and pre-construction activities.

“We are targeting to implement all of the projects in the first half of the year. Expanding the road network, connect the by-pass roads, and accelerate the flood control projects to become useful, especially now that the region is experiencing torrential rains,” Oppura added.

These projects consist of preventive maintenance; rehabilitation/reconstruction/upgrading of damaged paved roads; rehabilitation/reconstruction of national roads with slips, slope collapse, and landslides; network development road widening; construction of by-pass and diversion roads; construction of missing links/new roads; retrofitting/strengthening of permanent bridges; construction/maintenance of flood mitigation structures and drainage systems; construction/rehabilitation of flood mitigation facilities within major river basins and principal rivers; and the Basic Infrastructure Program (BIP) – access roads and/or bridges from the national road/s leading to major/strategic public buildings/facilities will generate jobs and increase economic activities.

For CY 2022, DPWH allotted the district office a total of P1.38 billion for its 57 infrastructure projects, of which 47 were completed and 10 are ongoing.

The second congressional district of Leyte is made up of 14 municipalities, comprising La Paz, Julita, Burauen, Dagami, Dulag, Mayorga, Mac Arthur, Jaro, Tunga, Barugo, Capoocan, and Carigara. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

Globe’s Hapag Movement has raised over P13.5 million worth of donations to combat involuntary hunger in the country since its launch in 2022, as the digital solutions platform urged customers anew to support the advocacy as millions of Filipino families still struggle to afford proper meals.

Contributions to the cause accelerated during Globe’s on-ground events including the annual 917 GDay celebration in September 2022, with customers’ donations of their Rewards points, which the company matched to send urgent help to those in need. These were complemented by company-initiated donations, corporate partner donations, and by engaging their customer base through various activities.

“As millions of Filipinos still grapple with hunger, Globe believes that addressing this concern is necessary for the country to achieve full and inclusive recovery from the impact of the pandemic. We are very thankful to our customers for participating and being part of the movement,” said Globe Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer, Yoly Crisanto.

During their annual 917 celebration in September, Globe matched all Rewards points redeemed from September 17 to 30 with an equivalent donation to the Hapag Movement. They also engaged their customers in several events throughout last year including the Tay New Fan Meet in Manila, Reach 4 The Stars Fan Meet with Thai actors and Globe endorsers Bright, Win, Dew, and Nani, G Battle Zone, G Music Fest, AcadArena’s CONQuest, Gariath Concepts’ Electronic Sports and Gaming Summit (ESGS), Head in the Clouds Manila, and many others.

The total amount of donations also comprises internal employee engagements from Globe including: Purpose Tree – Globe’s annual Christmas fundraising effort; Gift Local – the company’s annual Christmas bazaar, done in partnership with ChatGenie, an e-commerce solution supported by Globe Business, and in collaboration with some of their key clients, including Lumi Candles, Big AL’s, Daniel Baker, and many others; Volunteer activities
Globe also has a growing list of partners to raise funds for the Hapag Movement including: Amdocs, Globe’s long-time vendor partner who’s pledged to monetarily contribute US $12,000 to the cause and mobilize their employees to join the movement by initiating an internal fundraising program;KUMU, the largest social entertainment app in the Philippines, also engaged their content creators and viewers to donate to the cause. They raised a total of 1.9M+ diamonds on the platform during the Hapag Movement Benefit Concert held last December 21, 2022, which drew 10,599 viewers; SMAC (SM Advantage Card), who, together with its sister brands within the SM Group, helped raise funds through customer engagements last Christmas season;The Rotary Club of Makati Central Business District, Ayala Coop, and KonsultaMD’s network of doctors who committed a significant amount to support the advocacy.

Collectively, all their efforts will contribute to reaching the program’s long-term goal of supporting 100,000 families in four years through supplemental feeding and livelihood programs of mobilization partners Ayala Foundation, Caritas Philippines, Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines, and World Vision Philippines.

According to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, taken from December 10 to 14, 2022, 3 million families reported experiencing involuntary hunger, an increase from 2.9 million in the previous quarter.

The Hapag Movement is a united fight against involuntary hunger through technology led by Globe and carried out with its partners, the Ayala Foundation, Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines, Caritas Philippines and World Vision.

It aims to rally Filipinos behind a collective effort to feed the hungry, as involuntary hunger persisted among millions of families, especially at the height of the pandemic.
This is part of Globe’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9, which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development.(PR)