TACLOBAN CITY – The 18-athlete delegation from the Leyte Sport Academy (LSA) won a total of 11 gold medals in the 2018 Philippine National Games held in Cebu City last May 19-25.
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla told Leyte Samar Daily Express that aside from the gold medals won in the athletic competitions, the LSA-enrolled young athletes also won 8 silver and 5 bronze medals.
Gov. Petilla said that all the 11 gold medals won by the delegation came from athletics or track and field events with eight athletes only who participated in the competitions.
He added that boxing participated in by three athletes contributed three silver medals and judo with seven athletes who participated in the event got three bronze medals.
Petilla said that LSA athletes are still the overall all champion in the track and field girls division with two most valuable (MVP) player namely, Decerie Jane Niala who won four gold medals in the 16-17 years old youth category and Catherine Manese who won three gold medals in the 18 year old and above or junior category. (RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, PALO, Leyte- A 58-year old man from Bobon, Northern Samar was drowned in a river Thursday (May 31) afternoon.
The victim was identified as Ruben Alzaga, a resident of Barangay Gen. Lucban of said town.
Reports reaching the regional Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters, said that at about 2:14 pm, the victim, who was having a drinking spree with his friends, went to the nearby Sawangan Point to catch fish.
But he failed to return to his friends as his lifeless body was found later floating in the water.
Initial investigation disclosed that the victim, who was already under the influence of liquor, could have been drowned.
His companions rushed him to a rural health unit for a post-mortem examination. (PR)

ORMOC CITY-The local government of Ormoc City is bent in making it as one of the very few cities in the country where public smoking is banned.
And this early, Mayor Richard Gomez issued a warning to visitors who will come to the city during their annual fiesta next month not to smoke in public.
Otherwise, they will be charged for violating their ordinance against public smoking, the mayor said.
“If they want to smoke, they have to smoke outside (the city proper) and then balik na sila dito,” he said.
The city is to celebrate its annual fiesta on June 29 with thousands of visitors expected to visit Ormoc and witness its fiesta-related activities like its Piña Festival.
Violators of the city’s anti-smoking ordinance (Ordinance Number 35), approved in 2014, imposes a penalty of P500 up to P1,500, depending on the number of violations committed.
The intensified campaign against anti-smoking of the city government is also anchored under Republic Act 9211, otherwise known as the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 which prohibits smoking in public and selling of cigarettes to minors.
Gomez, who is an actor and athlete, said that by intensifying on their anti-smoking campaign, they could help their people achieve good health saying that smoking can cause cancer and other diseases.
“Our end goal here is to make our citizens healthy. We know the bad effects of smoking as it causes lung cancer and other diseases,” he said.
The city mayor, however, could not say if smoking is among the leading causes of deaths in Ormoc City.
But he was quick to say that their campaign only involves those smoking in public places as smokers could still smoke at their homes or in public places like restaurants which have designated smoking areas.
As part of their campaign, Gomez had led ‘Operation: Baklas’ wherein advertisements and other promotional campaign on cigarettes placed 100 meters away from schools and other public places like plazas were taken down which are frequented by minors.
Members of its city police are also directed to enforce both the city ordinance and national law on public smoking.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- Police personnel will be deployed in all schools across the city as the new school year is to start this Monday (June 4).
About 160 police personnel are to be deployed in the schools as part of their security measure, Chief Inspector Rex Cantillep, deputy director for operation of the Tacloban City Police, said.
“It is not only the responsibility of the schools or the PNP so it is collaborating between the barangay officials and community as well para han kaupay han aton mga kabataan kay usa an environment nga nakakahatag interest han aton mga bata to enhance their skills and knowledge because good environment in the school, it will help enhance the interest of the student or enhance their knowledge through education”, he said.
Police personnel will be deployed to all 13 public secondary schools and 21 elementary schools in the city.
The activity is part of Operation Balik Eskwela(OBE).
Oplan Balik Eskwela is an annual campaign initiated by the Department of Education (DepEd), in coordination with other government agencies like the PNP, communities, and other stakeholders help prepare for the opening of every school year.
It aims to ensure that students are properly enrolled and able to attend school during the opening of classes.
It seeks to address common problems encountered during school opening. It was first established on 2005.
(REJOY R. TORALBA, SHELLA MAE D. ASTORGA, DHEMA NIÑA O. IGAY, NwSSU Student Intern)

Pres. Duterte invited to grace the city fiesta

TACLOBAN CITY- A livelier and more colorful Sangyaw Festival’s “Parade of Lights” will be staged this year as it now enters its 10th year.
This was disclosed by City Mayor Cristina Romualdez during a press conference Friday(June 1) as lined-up activities relative to the forthcoming city fiesta were disclosed by her.
“We have nothing but to ensure that our people and the visitors will enjoy our fiesta which is a month-long celebration,” Romualdez said.
She disclosed that they have invited President Rodrigo Duterte and her daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, among other officials, to attend this year’s city fiesta.
The city mayor also said that she is rushing for the completion of some traffic lights, at least at the city’s downtown area, before the June 30 festivities as an ‘added attraction’.
The city’s traffic lights were destroyed when it was hit by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ in 2013.
Among the activities in this year’s city fiesta include the holding of the Miss Tacloban, nightly cultural presentations, band shows featuring local and national bands, different sports competition, Sangyaw Awards which gives honors to outstanding Taclobanons, Sangyaw Festival of Lights and the Balyuan rites involving the images of Sto. Niño de Tacloban and Sto. Niño of Basey.
Mayor Romualdez said that as this year marks its 10th year after it was revived by her husband, former mayor Alfred Romualdez, she want it to be a bigger spectacle both the city residents and visitor could enjoy.
More than 15 contingents are to compete in this year’s Sangyaw Festival’ Parade of Lights. Four of them are from Biliran, Surigao, Pinabacdao and Hinabangan, both in Samar.
The city mayor was quick to say that while this year’s Sangyaw Festival will be bigger compare to previous years, they will see to it that they will not spend so much.
“We will be working on a limited budget as we asked sponsorship (from private companies),” she said.
She declined to say as to how much the city government has allocated for this year’s fiesta celebration.
Security will also be tight across the city during the month-long celebration, particularly in areas where there are activities being held, to ensure the safety of the public.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY — The National Food Authority (NFA) in the region is expecting to receive 12,000 metric tons (MT) of imported rice from Vietnam and Thailand starting June.
NFA Regional Director Henry Tristeza said the allocation will be coming from the 250,000 MT of rice purchased through government-to-government scheme.
The 12,000 MT of rice is equivalent to 240,000 bags.
“The new shipment will ensure us enough rice supply for at least six days if NFA will be the only source of staple food. That is not the case because we have enough stocks from commercial traders and households,” Tristeza said.
The volume is only a small fraction of the 60-day buffer stocks target as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.
The incoming stocks is expected to bring down the price of commercial rice in the market with the availability of NFA rice at only P27 and P32 per kilogram (kg), said Tristeza.
The NFA regional chief admitted the absence of NFA rice in the market contributed to the increase in the price of commercial rice in the region from an average of P40 per kg to P45 per kg.
For Rebecca Sulibaga, 44, from Barangay Lunang in the island town of Almagro, Samar, the higher prices of rice makes life difficult for their family of six supported by her husband’s PHP300 daily income from fishing.
“Now that rice is expensive, we have no choice, but to cut our budget for other food items, education, and fare. Another option is to borrow money from our friends and relatives,” Sulibaga said.
Pedicab driver Raul Piga, 35, from Youngfield village in this city said their hand-to-mouth existence has worsened as prices of basic food items such as rice went up.
“A big chunk of our budget goes to buying rice. Most of the time, our side dish is just lawlaw,” Piga said.
Lawlaw or fish paste is a kind of tiny sardine buried and preserved in salt, commonly eaten by impoverished families who have no other alternative to enhance the taste of rice.
The NFA has stopped selling rice in the six Eastern Visayas provinces last February due to dwindling stocks.
For the second batch of 250,000 MT of imported rice which was bid out through government-to-private (G2P) scheme this week, will bring another 12,000 mt of rice to the region.
NFA will announce winning bidder before end of May.
The government attempted to replenish stocks through the import of 250,000 MT but bidding failed in the last week of April.
The country reopened offers from the governments of Vietnam and Thailand early of May.
The NFA is sticking to its target of having the rice imports in the country within June. (with reports from PRINCESS ROSETTE CABONEGRO and CHANDA MAE DIALINO, OJTs)

BY: SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA