TACLOBAN CITY – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has warned against the consumption of shellfish gathered in Cancabato Bay here after meat samples turned positive for red tide toxin.

In an advisory issued Wednesday night, BFAR said paralytic shellfish toxin was found during the laboratory examination conducted by the BFAR – Regional Fisheries Laboratory in this city.

“To safeguard human lives and mitigate impacts to the shellfish industry while waiting for the BFAR central office test result, this local red tide warning is issued as a precautionary advice to the public to refrain from gathering, selling, and eating all types of shellfishes and Acetes sp., locally known as Alamang or Hipon, from this bay,” the bureau said.
Cancabato Bay is a rich source of cockle clams being shipped to Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Through testing, the fisheries bureau found that shellfish samples from the bay have 74.46 micrograms of toxins for every 100 grams of meat.

The maximum regulatory limit of toxins is 60 micrograms for every 100 grams of shellfish meat. Beyond that, the government strictly prohibits shellfish harvesting in affected areas.
The region’s laboratory also found toxins in the shellfish meat samples gathered in the coastal water of Guiuan during its test on October 27.

Meat samples gathered in Cancabato and Guiuan have been sent to the BFAR National Fisheries Laboratory for confirmatory test and inclusion in the nationwide shellfish bulletin.
Under Shellfish Bulletin 23 issued on Nov. 21, 2022 by the BFAR main office, the shellfish ban is also up in Irong-Irong Bay in Catbalogan City in Samar and San Pedro Bay in Basey town, also in Samar.

The change in weather patterns has been blamed for the red tide presence in the region, according to BFAR.

Fish, squid, crab, and shrimp gathered from these areas are safe to eat provided that all entrails are removed and the marine products are washed thoroughly with running water before cooking.

The BFAR asked local government units to heighten their watch against the gathering, trading, and consumption of shellfish to prevent the incidence of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), which can occur minutes after ingesting bivalve shellfish (such as mussels, oysters, and clams) that contain red tide toxins.

Early PSP symptoms include tingling of the lips and tongue and may progress to tingling of fingers and toes and then loss of control of arms and legs, followed by difficulty in breathing.

Red tide is a term used to describe a phenomenon where the water is discolored by high algal biomass or a high concentration of algae.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA with ROBERT DEJON)

Organizers say both genders are equal

BORONGAN CITY– Both women and men joining in this year’s national surfing competition hosted by this city will receive equal prize money.

In doing so, the organizers is making an statement that even in sports supposedly male-dominated, women players are also expected to excel equally.

The organizers of the 3rd leg of the Philippine National Surfing Competition is offering P1.1 million prizes in both women and men categories.

Surf in the City chairperson, Rupert Ambil explained that providing equal cash prizes for both male and female competitors is a statement that the city government believes in the ability and talent of both genders and that they respect equal rights, not only of female and male but even members of the LGBTQ.

“Kami naman, we’re not competing in the waters, we are competing against other LGUs. So how do we compete with them, so we compete by hosting it better, by providing the right prize money, and also the value of Estehanon represent, na kung hindi mo kayang sabihin sa anak mong babae bakit mas mataas ang prize money ng lalake compare sa iyo, so mali yun fundamentally,” he said.

“How can you make an excuse na mas malaki ang prize money? So tayo dito, naniniwala tayo sa strength ng both gender, it is really a statement for all of us, not only for the surfing community but also as representative of Borongan, Eastern Samar, these are the values that we represent, gender equality, LGBTQ rights,” Ambil added.

This move from the city government of Borongan to provide equal cash prizes to both genders is lauded by the officials of the United Philippine Surfing Association (UPSA) that hosts the country’s premier professional surfing championship tournaments.

Philippine National Surfing Team head coach John Carby said that providing equality between male and female surfers is within the current roadmap of UPSA and they are lauding the city government of Borongan for leading voluntarily.

Carby said that equality between genders in sports is the hotly debated topic almost around the world at the moment which is why UPSA made a requirement that all categories in surfing competition sanction by their organization must have counterpart category in both sexes.

Being a male-dominated sports, Carby added that UPSA had started to provide better opportunity to female by including more women courses in their judging program.
Giving the same prizes to both female and male category is also included in their roadmap which they are glad that Borongan is now doing it.

“We applauded the initiative and looking forward to put it in our practices for other regions, not to just copy. We hope to copy on their own but eventually we will also be imposing the equal opportunity, as an UPSA it’s a roadmap so to see it done in a voluntary level in a particular region, we sit down, we clap them, we raise our hats to the initiatives,” Carby said.

Meanwhile, City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda said that the main goal of his administration now is to institutionalize this sporting event that has put the city and the province of Eastern Samar in the list of among surfing enthusiasts as place to go to.

Borongan has been hosting the national surfing competition for three years now with goal of producing local surf champions.

Agda added that while at present, budget for the sporting competition is shouldered by the city and the provincial governments, they are hoping that in the future hosting of the event private sector would come in to sponsor the competition.

Agda added that even they spend a total of more than P2 million for hosting the event including the prizes, they are expecting a bigger return of investment from the awareness that the sports competition can create from the surfing community and would be surfers, to possible investors who would invest in tourism related businesses that will eventually generate jobs to local and income for the city.

Around 250 surfers from all over the country are now in Borongan City for the 3rd leg of the Philippine National Surfing Championship.

These surfers are from the provinces of Siargao, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Cebu, Eastern Samar, Aurora, Sorsogon, Catanduanes, Zambales, Camarines Norte, Leyte, and Northern Samar.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY– Taclobanons showed strength in condemning any form of violence against women and children during the kick-off activity of the 18-day campaign at the Tacloban City Youth Hub.

Through Republic Act 10398, November 25 of each year is declared as National Consciousness Day for the elimination of VAWC.

The activity started with a motorcade along the main streets of the city joined by civil society groups and women from various government and private agencies.

Mayor Alfred Romualdez showed his support for the campaign and reaffirms that he is behind this movement and will use government resources to make sure that it will be a success.

He recounted that the LGU once collaborated with Homeland Security in capturing an American pedophile. Romualdez asked the audience to help in eradicating this grave violence of human rights.(TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)