Continuous improvement of Riverdrive Project to ease flooding, traffic woes in Las Piñas
[From the present 24 kms, five km more to be constructed next year]
Senator Cynthia Villar, the proponent of the Las Piñas Zapote River Drive project, is confident that its completion is preventing flooding and solving the traffic problem in Las Piñas City.
So far, 24 kilometers have been completed for the last 9 years starting in 2012 until 2020 and five (5) kms more is slated to be built in the next two years (2021 & 2022).
“The project is being completed in phases and we have seen the improvements so far in terms of flood prevention and traffic flow in the river drive areas. So, we will continue to extend the coverage of the project to 29 kilometers in next two years,” (2021-2022) said Villar.
For next two years (2021-2022), the Molino Riverdrive phase will be built, stretching a total of 5kms, from Daanghari road to the river along Barangay Molino III & Molino VI until it connects to Zapote River.
The very first phase of the Riverdrive Project was the 18-km Zapote Riverdrive along Zapote River aimed at preventing flooding in the city and solve the traffic congestion along Zapote-Alabang Road because it serves as alternate road.
The Riverdrive Project started at the end of C-5 Extension Road in Barangay Pulanglupa I to Alido Bridge and continuing to an underpass in Zapote Bridge in Barangay Zapote on to Barangays Pamplona I, Pamplona II, Talon II, Moonwalk, Talon I, Almanza II then to Daang Hari Road connected to the MCX Expressway.
The second phase was the 6-km Las Piñas Riverdrive which started at C-5 Extension Road in Barangay Pulanglupa I then to Barangay Pulanglupa II, Pamplona III up to CAA Road.
In 2021-2022, the 5-km Molino Riverdrive from Daanghari to Barangay Molino III and Molino VI in Bacoor, Cavite will be constructed. It will connect to Zapote Riverdrive to Manila Bay area.
The Zapote and Las Pinas Riverdrive as well as the Molino Riverdrive, according to Villar, do not only ease flooding and traffic woes.
“With the river drive, we also closely maintain the cleanliness of the river, which can be considered as the ‘artery’ of the city and nearby areas too. The people living along the river cannot throw their wastes anymore into the rivers because there is a road and the houses are fenced,” Villar cited.
Villar has spent decades since 2001 ensuring the cleaning, maintenance and rehabilitation of the Las Piñas Zapote River, which used to be clogged with garbage impeding the flow of water that cause massive flooding. She put up livelihood projects that now use wastes such as water hyacinths, waste coconut husks and plastic wastes (that used to pollute the river) as raw materials.
Her Sagip-Ilog project won for her the United Nations “Best Practices Award” in 2011, which recognized the project for protecting water resources and providing livelihood to Filipinos. (PR)
Oras town exec raise concern over incident involving a patient who died due to COVID-19 complication
In Eastern Samar
TACLOBAN CITY- The mayor of Oras town in Eastern Samar raised her concern over an incident involving a man who died reportedly due to complications related to coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Mayor Viviane Alvarez said that the local government unit as well as the Provincial Health Office (PHO) were not informed by the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) that the man died due to the dreaded virus.
She said that the positive swab result of the patient was released on Nov. 23 while his family and relatives were holding a wake at their residence.
This incident has put in danger the health of those who attended the wake, the town mayor said.
The patient died on Nov.21 due to COVID-19 complications while he was confined at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC), this city.
“Sadly, there was no proper coordination and information to the PHO nor to the rural health unit nor to the family on the handling of the cadaver,” Alvarez said on her Facebook account.
The man is the first COVID-19 related death of the town which has posted 50 cases due to the dreaded virus.
It was learned that the man was first brought at the Maulong Hospital in Catbalogan City last Oct.14 as he was suffering from ulcer.
Five days later or on Oct.19, he was transferred to EVRMC in Magsaysay Boulevard, this city. A swab test on him yielded a negative result.
On Oct.22, he was transferred at the new EVRMC located in Brgy. Bagacay where he died due to respiratory problem last Nov. 21.
His remains were returned to his hometown on Nov.23 where his family held a wake. It is during this time that his swab result was released by the DOH.
Alvarez said that their task force immediately conducted contact tracing to the primary contacts as she disclosed that she urged the second and third generations contact to undergo isolation.
The town mayor said that she ordered that lockdown be put into effect in the villages of Paypayon, San Roque, Balocawe and Agsam until the contact tracing is over.
“Please stay home, follow health protocols and cooperate.We need the help of everyone in this trying time,” Alvarez said. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
FRECOR 8 ECs donate to Albay
TACLOBAN CITY- All 11 member-ECs (DORELCO, LEYECO II, LEYECO III, LEYECO IV, LEYECO V, BILECO, SOLECO, SAMELCO I, SAMELCO II, ESAMELCO & NORSAMELCO) of the Federation of Rural Electric Cooperatives in Region 8 (FRECOR 8) were able to donate used clothing and basic commodities coming from their generous member-consumer-owners and employees.
Bundles of used clothing and basic goods coming from all corners of the region are currently being hauled onto a boom truck at Samelco 2 who willingly accepted the task of delivering the donations to Albay today for the victims of Typhoons Quinta and Rolly.
The call for donations was initiated by PHILAIM 8 and LEXICON 8 during their meeting last November 5, 2020 to help the people of Bicol Region particularly Albay where 13 teams of PRRD-Task Force Kapatid from Region 8 were previously deployed to hasten the power restoration activities and help restore power in the affected areas the soonest possible time.
The teams will be extending their stay until November 30th as the province was once again badly hit during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses recently. The extension was unanimously approved by Frecor 8 general managers after a request was received from its sister-coop APEC due to loss of power in some previously restored areas.
Aside from used clothing and commodities, coop employees also voluntarily donated and raised cash assistance to be given to the employees of the affected sister-coops in Bicol Region.
Truly, when the spirit of bayanihan and kindness works, we can make a difference and extend a helping hand to our Kababayans affected by the recent typhoons that rampaged parts of the country. (PR)
117 Cafgu members detail in Borongan City; deployment aims to help city against NPAs incursion
TACLOBAN CITY – After more than a month of intensive training, the 117 candidate Special Cafgu Active Auxiliary (SCAA) from Borongan City had finally finished their basic military training on November 23.
Citizen Armed Force Geographical Forces (Cafgu) Active Auxiliary (CAA) is a paramilitary unit composed of volunteer reservists organized into companies of personnel that are led by regular troops.
The 45 days of intensive training aims to develop their stamina, attitude, and skills required prior to their dispatch in the different communities in Borongan City
Present during the graduation ceremony were Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda as the guest of honor and speaker; Brigadier General Camilo Ligayo, commanding officer of the 801st Infantry Brigade; and Lieutenant Colonel Oliver Alvior, commanding officer of the 78th Infantry Battalion.
About 100 of the trainees were from Borongan City while the rest were from other parts of Eastern Samar.
Mayor Agda, in his message, said that the establishment of Cafgu in the city is essential for the attainment and in the maintaining of peace and development of the city.
“It gives confidence to the LGU and the people of Borongan City to uplift its constituents’ lives,” Agda said.
The mayor also extends the city’s gratitude to the Philippine Army for ensuring the completion of the CAA-II Basic Military Training, which he agreed on the new CAAs will serve as an added safeguard for the Boronganons against the NPA atrocities.
The city government will provide each Cafgu P6,500 monthly allowance during their deployment in the villages of Amantacop, San Mateo, and Canyupay.
In 2019, the city experience two NPA related incidents, one happened in the upland village of Pinanag-an where six soldiers were killed and 20 others are wounded while the other happened in the village of Libuton, where landmine was used by the communist group to attack personnel of the Philippine National Police.
A policeman and a civilian were killed in the incident.
Meanwhile, BGen Ligayo, expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the city government for its achievements in the various program for peace in partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
He also added that the establishment of Cafgu in the city is to maintain peace and help develop the community and thwart the possible atrocities of the rebels that could hinder the development of Borongan City. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)