MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte – About 64 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) from this province were able to avail of the credit assistance program offered by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) thru the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) since 2021.
This was disclosed by Mark Obregon, DAR Southern Leyte Provincial Office’s monitoring and evaluation (M & E) coordinator, during the Local Project Management Committee (LPMC) meeting held in this city last week.

Based on the report from LBP, more than P3.6 million had already been released by the bank to the said ARBs under DAR’s Accessible Fund for Delivery to ARBs (AFFORD-ARBs) credit assistance program.

Obregon added that the borrowers used the amount as capital for their abaca and cacao productions.

On the same occasion, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II (PARPO II) Roderick Rances encouraged the ARBs who were invited to the said meeting to avail of the different credit assistance programs offered by DAR which has minimal interest rates.

Rances said this is an opportunity for the ARBs who have not recovered yet from the devastation of Typhoon Odette which hit this province in December 2021.

Agri-Credit and Microfinance (ACMF) coordinator, Victoria Ligtas, presented to the ARBs, who are looking for fund sources to finance their farm operations or livelihood activities, the three available agri-credit assistance programs of DAR; the AFFORD-ARBs, the Expanded Assistance to Restore and Install Sustainable Enterprise (E-ARISE), and the Accessible Loans for Empowered, Resilient and Transform – Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ALERT-ARBOs).

Ligtas stressed that AFFORD-ARBs and E-ARISE can be availed individually, while ALERT-ARBOs can be availed thru the ARBO they are affiliated with.

LBP’s account officer, Noreen Joy Golong, also stressed during the meeting that the bank no longer ask for collateral in availing the AFFORD-ARBs loan. However, the borrower must not have any other insurance application with the Philippine Crop Insurance Company (PCIC), because the proceeds they will get from PCIC will serve as their collateral.

Meanwhile, PCIC insurance underwriter, Donnie Saavedra, shared that they conduct actual inspection to determine if the applicant deserves appropriate indemnification.

Further, DAR Regional Office ACMF coordinator, Rosemarie Arreglo, praised the ARB-borrowers of this province for their good standing as no one is reported to be delinquent.

On the other hand, lawyer Melani Brilata still cautioned the would-be borrowers to be responsible in their obligations to the bank because it will affect other borrowers as well. (JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA/PR)

BORONGAN CITY-Employees from the Department of Public Works and Highways – Eastern Samar District Engineering Office (DPWH-ESDEO) with District Engineer Ma. Margarita C. Junia planted more than 500 trees in the kick-off of the tree replacement program conducted along the roadside of Taft-Borongan Road on March 22, 2023.

According to DE Junia, the district office needs to plant 315,100 trees in replacement of the 3,151 trees affected by the slope protection rock fall netting project along Wright-Taft Road.

The said activity complies with the tree-cutting permit issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) which in every one cut tree, the implementing office is directed to replace it by planting 100 seedlings.

“We will be busy this year implementing this tree replacement program. In fact, we already had a total of 14,000 saplings of native trees in our nursery which are ready for the tree planting program,” said DE Junia.

DE Junia also disclosed that the office is coordinating with the DENR and other government agencies such as Local Government Unit of Salcedo for a site for the tree planting activity.
“With the voluminous requirements of trees to be planted, we are also coordinating the local barangay officials in Taft who will help us in the supply of more seedlings. They will be of great help in this tree replacement program and at the same time, this will provide them an additional source of income,” added DE Junia.

She also said that the tree planting activity will continue to be implemented starting this month to plant trees along the roadside from Taft to Arteche and to forest lands to be identified by the DENR.

Aside from the kick-off of the tree replacement program, the recently conducted tree planting activity also supported the third week celebration of the International Women’s Month in which most of the participants wore purple shirts, which is the international color of women and gender equality.(MAY ANTOINETTE O. NABLE, PIO STAFF)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources VIII (DENR) in the region and their ambassadors participated in the annual Earth Hour held last March 25, 2023 to show commitment to Earth protection and preservation.

In full support of environmental advocacies, DENR-8 held an hour (8:30-9:30pm) switch off together with ENR ambassadors — JJC Waraynon, JJC Leytean, JJC Tanauan Molave, JJC EVSU Chapter, and Eagle Scouts of the Philippines Region 8.

In his welcome remarks, DENR8 Regional Executive Director, Arturo Fadriquela reminded the attendees to continue doing activities that will preserve and protect the environment even beyond ‘Earth Hour’.

“Show your love for our country by protecting the environment and using its resources wisely, not just for ourselves but for the future of the community,” he said.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. had earlier called the public to take part in activities, advocacies, and initiatives that will help us protect and preserve our only home, the earth.
This global annual activity is held every 8:30 to 9:30PM on the last Saturday of March.
(MARCO JEMSBOY ARCENA, LNU Student Intern)

Major sponsor for this event

TACLOBAN CITY– The city of Borongan in Eastern Samar is among the sponsors of this year’s Miss Philippines- Earth as it prepares for the hosting of the said major beauty pageants of the country in 2024.

This was confirmed by Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda who said that they are happy that Borongan City will serve as host in next year’s staging of Miss Philippines-Earth.

Borongan City will become the first city in Eastern Visayas to become a sponsor and a host of a national beauty pageant.

Agda said that the city government will allocate P3 million for staging the Miss Philippines0 Earth next year which will be held at the city’s Baybay beach.

Mayor Agda said that he is happy that the Miss Philippines- Earth organizers have chosen Borongan City as a sponsor for this year’s staging and as a host for the 2024 edition.
This only indicated that they acknowledge the efforts of the city government and its people in preserving the environment.

“Miss Earth (Philippines)’ advocacy is similar to the city’s vision of environmental preservation and protection, especially in our campaign to protect our remaining rain forest as it helps us in avoiding being hit by big typhoons,” Agda said.

On top of this, hosting the environment-themed national beauty pageant will help promote the city and the rest of Eastern Samar as a tourist destination, the mayor added.
The city mayor said that the organizers of the beauty pageant led by its president, Lorraine Shuck, visited Borongan last Monday to personally see the city.

This year’s Miss Philippines-Earth 2023 will be held on April 23 with 31 candidates vying for the title. (JOEY A. GABIETA)