GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO, Leyte-The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Office VIII in Eastern Visayas has increased its absorptive capacity to 63% as of April 30, 2018, surpassing department’s monthly target of 57% for said month.
In a report released by the Finance Division, the DPWH offices has already surpassed six percent of the monthly target for obligating P22.8 billion of the P36.2 billion allocation for this year.
At least P8.01 billion has been disbursed or a rate of 22 percent or 2%, ahead of the 20% target for the month.
Of the 14 DPWH offices in the region, six of them met the absorptive capacity goal. The Leyte 4th District Engineering Office garnering the highest obligation ratio of 89%.
“This is in compliance to Secretary Mark Villar’s order for full implementation and full utilization of department’s budget,” said DPWH Regional Director Edgar Tabacon.
The absorptive capacity is determined by dividing the total obligation incurred with the total net allotment.
It is measured by the ability to obligate the allotments received from DPWH Central Office and Department of Budget and Management.
Of the 961 projects for 2018, at least 1 have been completed, while 431 are ongoing, and 529 are not yet started. As of May 2018, the region posted 10.10 percent accomplishment.
This year, the DPWH shifted its focus to widening the country’s existing road network to address traffic congestion and for improved movement of goods and services.
Among the projects with huge funding include the construction of bypass roads and diversion roads, connecting gaps along national roads, and flood control projects. (PR)

Covering 1st quarter of ’17

TACLOBAN CITY – The province of Leyte has increased its corn production, balking the regional trend which saw the production of corn declining last year, report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported.
Wilma Perante, PSA-8 regional director, told Leyte Samar Daily Express that among the six provinces of the region, Leyte produced the highest volume of corn at 7,101 metric ton comprising about two-thirds or 67.4 percent of the total regional corn production.
Biliran, meanwhile, had the lowest volume of production or 118 metric ton accounting for only 1.1 percent.
Based on the PSA record, the regional corn production covering the first quarter of last year decreased by 9.6 percent from previous year of the same period of 11,649 MT.
Perante said that the total harvest area for corn in the region likewise decreased by 7.1 percent, from 8,081 hectares in the first quarter of 2017 to 7,507 hectares in the first quarter of 2018.
Contributing largely to this decrease is Northern Samar with a drop of 30.1 percent, she added.
Perante said that Leyte recorded almost three quarters or 74.3 percent (5,574 hectares) of the total corn area harvested during the quarter in review, while Eastern Samar contributed the least (70 hectares) accounting for only 0.9 percent.
Decreases were observed among all provinces, except in Southern Leyte and Eastern Samar, which posted increases of 7.0 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively, the director said.
Perante said that the yield per hectare for corn in the region remained at 1.4 metric tons per hectare.
She added that among the provinces, Eastern Samar posted the highest yield per hectare during the quarter in review at 2.0 MT per hectare. Biliran registered the lowest yield per hectare at 1.2 MT per hectare. (RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

ORMOC CITY – Smoking ban will still be implemented even during the annual fiesta of this city.
This was declared by City Mayor Richard Gomez who warned violators that they will be apprehended once caught by the police.
Gomez is strengthening their campaign against public smoking across the city using an anti-smoking ordinance which carry some penalties.
Based on the anti-smoking ordinance of the city, the penalty ranges from P500 up to P1, 500, depending on the number of times a violator is caught.
“If they want to smoke they have to do it outside the city proper. There will be no exemption,” Gomez said.
Ormoc is aiming to be declared as a “smoke free city”.
It received a nomination for this year’s Red Orchid Award- LGU category, a program of the Department of Health that recognizes cities, municipalities, government offices and health facilities that are strictly enforcing tobacco control measures.
Mayor Gomez clarified that although the city government is imposing strict compliance of Republic Act 9211 also known as the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 they are not stopping anyone from doing their vice but they should do it in designated area or in their respective houses.
Under the law smoking is prohibited in indoor public places and workplaces such as government facilities, healthcare and educational institutions, and facilities frequented visited by minors, public land transport, aircraft, and public transport terminals.
Smoking is allowed in other public places and work places which include bars and nightclubs but there must be designated smoking areas.
“Our goal here is to keep our citizens healthy. We know the bad effects of smoking.It causes lung cancer and other diseases,” Gomez said.
Last week, Gomez together with personnel from the City Health Office and Ormoc City Police Office conducted “Oplan Baklas” of cigarette advertisement in stores within 100-meter distance from schools and barangay halls.
“We did an operation Baklas to implement RA 9211 which says you cannot put any cigarette advertising within 100 meters of places frequented by minors,” he said, adding that they also took down posters and billboards fronting barangay halls.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Agriculture (DA) will introduce climate resilient technologies in three Samar provinces as part of an initiative to help alleviate farmers from poverty.
This is the first time that adaptation and mitigation initiative in agriculture (AMIA) will be implemented in Eastern Visayas targeting beneficiaries of Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD), a project that provides intervention to poor farmers not covered by regular programs.
“Through AMIA, we want farmers to mainstream climate resilient measures meant to reduce losses arising from natural calamities. This is very helpful because our region is very vulnerable to weather disturbances,” said DA Eastern Visayas assistant regional director for operations Andrew Orais in an interview on Thursday.
SAAD recipients will be provided with seeds varieties and other inputs tolerant to impacts of climate change. Farmers will also be taught on proven climate resilient practices in farming, said Orais.
A major component of the AMIA project is the national color-coded farming guide map, which identifies crops that are most suitable in agriculture parcels, and overlays soil properties, elevation, rainfall pattern, temperature, and more importantly, the projected climate-induced multi-hazards.
The DA is eyeing a P1.37-billion outlay to assist less privileged farmers in three Samar provinces under SAAD.
From 2016 to 2017, the department has already poured in nearly P20 million to poor farmers not covered in regular programs of the central government. The project focuses on improving production of rice, corn, vegetables, and livestock.
The DA regional office is proposing P898.74-million budget for SAAD projects for 2019 to 2022. The initiative aims to alleviate 37,669 farmers from extreme poverty, said Orais.
DA aims to reduce poverty in Samar provinces by 25 percent in the next three years from 55.4 percent in Eastern Samar, 43.5 percent in Northern Samar, and 43.5 percent in Samar.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

CALBAYOG CITY-The Department of Education (DepEd) in this city is set to welcome at least 55,000 students for this school year which will start on June 4.
The projected student population of this city for this school year is relatively higher compare to last year’s school year of 49,582 students.
“The schools are now in preparation for the opening of classes and we are expecting more children to go back to school,” Raul Agban, officer-in-charge of the city schools division, said.
The ‘Brigada Eskwela’ or the annual maintenance week is set to kick-off on Monday (May 28) with a simple caravan from Carayman National High School and a simple ceremony at the Calbayog City Convention Center.
Agban encouraged the parents, stakeholders to continue supporting the education sector in the city.
“Let us all join hands and continue helping our schools for the end beneficiary of these are the children,” he said.
Last school year’s Brigada Eskwela, the city schools division generated a total amount of P15.04 million at least 32,518 volunteers helped in the preparation for the school opening.
The city government under Mayor Ronaldo Aquino extended P5,000 cash assistance to all public elementary, junior and senior high schools in the city.
This year’s Brigada Eskwela, the city government will also extend same amount of assistance to all public schools in the city to augment the expenses relative to the said activity.
DepEd-Calbayog has also scheduled the ‘Visita Escuela’ 2018 at Mantaong Elementary School on May 30.
DepEd division heads, staffs, stakeholders and other DepEd partners will gather and join hands in painting, cleaning, and repair works of the classrooms and other facilities.
Meantime, Agban shared that for this school year, the city has 170 new teacher items.
“The number of teacher items I think is enough for our need but this is also helpful for us to split the multi-grade classes that we have right now,” he said.
Calbayog has 212 multi-grade classes, wherein a teacher handles two to three classes simultaneously. (JENNIFER SUMAGANG-ALLEGADO)

BUSALI, Biliran- An official from the Department of Education (DepEd) in Eastern Visayas disclosed that the opening of classes in public schools will start on June 4.
“We will see to it that June 4 will really be the start of classes in the whole of Region 8,” DepEd-8 Regional Director Ramir B. Uytico emphasized in an interview during the conduct of the schools maintenance activities dubbed Brigada Eskwela in Busali Elementary School on May 22.
Uytico said that all classrooms should be ready prior the resumption of classes, thus encouraged teachers, parents, and volunteers to cooperate anew in this year’s Brigada Eskwela.
Spirit of volunteerism
Uytico said that Brigada Eskwela is aimed to bring out the “bayanihan” spirit among Filipinos. He stressed that parents opting to give financial assistance in exchange for extending volunteer works in school will just defeat the purpose of promoting the bayanihan spirit.
“Brigada Eskwela is tulungan. Ang pag-educate ng kabataan ay hindi lang ‘yan responsibilidad ng DepEd but rather the responsibility of everybody in the community especially the parents,” Uytico added.
He also welcomed all the stakeholders in the community to participate during the conduct of this year’s Brigada Eskwela from May 28 to June 2.
“Puwede nilang puntahan ‘yung school, i-approach ang principal kung ano ang mai-ooffer nila so that the school will feel na hindi sila nag-iisa sa paghanda for the coming school year,” the regional director said.
This year’s Brigada Eskwela has the theme “Pagkakaisa para sa Handa, Ligtas at Matatag na Paaralan Tungo sa Magandang Kinabukasan.”
No collection policy
The DepEd chief reiterated that their department imposes the ‘no collection policy’ and further emphasized that attending in public schools is free.
“We would like to remind all the parents na pag-aralin ang kanilang mga anak sa public schools dahil walang bayad dito,” said Uytico.
He also encouraged the public to report to the offices of the principals and supervisors on any violations of the said policy.
(JNPD/RSV/PIA-8)