MAASIN CITY-A total of 215 patients availed themselves of free medical services in a mission by a non-profit organization held recently in the municipality of Limasawa.
Worlds-Apart One-Heart Inc. (WAOH) is recognized by the International Revenue System which is managed by Rose Hankins, a Filipina who started the mission in 2005.
A volunteer attends to a patient during the Worlds-Apart-One-Heart (WAOH) medical mission in the municipality of Limasawa, Southern Leyte.
It empowers individuals and communities worldwide to improve access to health care in rural areas like the Philippines.
The organization forges partnerships with medical specialists to provide complex care in their respective areas of mission. It also provides lifesaving surgery, medicines and medical supplies at no cost.
In Southern Leyte, WAOH donated books and school supplies to one identified school in Sogod town.
The team also catered to 37 males for circumcision, 12 for minor surgeries, and 19 patients for dental surgery, among other medical consultations
WAOH medical mission in the municipality of Limasawa was in coordination with the Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SLCCI) family through Mrs. Epifania Sy, Limasawa local officials led by Mayor Melchor Petracorta, Rural Health Unit staff and personnel, among others. (PIA-8, So. Leyte)

TACLOBAN CITY – In an effort to provide employment assistance to marginalized youths in Tacloban, the city government through Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez on Wednesday, signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Labor and Employment VIII for the implementation of the JobStart Program.
The MOA signing held at the CMO Boardroom was headed by Mayor Romualdez, DOLE VIII Regional Director Cyril Ticao, Leyte Employment Office Chief Bernardita Navarra and Tacloban PESO manager Emilia Cruz.
According to Director Ticao, the program aims to offer training and internship programs for youth-at-risk in Tacloban.
“Those who will be selected will undergo ten days of life skills training, up to three months of technical training and another three months of work experience with a “matched” employer/establishment,” said the DOLE regional director.
Mayor Romualdez welcomed the development and said that the program will be a big help to marginalized youths in Tacloban, especially those living in relocation sites.
Meanwhile, PESO Manager Cruz disclosed that 100 slots are available for Tacloban City.
“We will start accepting applicants this June as we still have ongoing talks with partner companies, said the PESO manager.
Recipients of the program are youths aged 18 to 24; at least a high-school graduate; not employed, studying, or undergoing training at the time of registration; and with less than one year, or no work, experience. A stipend of 200 pesos will be given those who will qualify throughout the duration of the training.
The program is funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government of Canada.
(HENRY JAMES G. ROCA/CIO)

TACLOBAN CITY – As in previous years, this year’s Sangyaw Festival will highlight a number of socio-cultural and religious events.
In a meeting of the Sangyaw Festival Executive Committee held on Thursday, an initial list of the month-long festivities was presented.
The theme of this year’s Festival will center on the newly launched City Branding Campaign #TaclobantheHomeoftheHappiestPeopleintheWorld.
The June 2018 fiesta activities include nightly shows and concerts at the Plaza Rizal and Sangyawan Park (June 1- July 7), featuring local and guest bands from Manila.
Several local and national sporting events will also be held in the city, these include the Frisbee Competition (June 8-10), National Darts Competition (June 8-10), Sangyaw Mini X-Games (June 9-10), Sangyaw Adventure Race (June 23), Battle of Kankabato: 1st Sangyaw Airsoft Competition (June 9) and Jet Ski Tacloban Race (15-16).
On June 22, twelve home grown beauties will compete in the Miss Tacloban 2018 Pageant at the Tacloban City Convention Center.
Other beauty contests slated this June are the Mr. Sangyaw 2018 (June 15) and Sangyaw Queen (June 24) Mr. Sangyaw Tacloban 2018 (National Body Building Competition, June 28).
Meanwhile, LED floats and festival contingents will once again parade on the main streets of the city for the night time parade spectacle –Sangyaw Parade of Lights on June 29.
Religious activities include the Balyuan Rites which reenacts the historical exchange of Sto. Niño images between Tacloban and Basey on June 20. The religious event will signal the start of the nine-day novena mass for the 129th Annual Fiesta Celebration.
On the day of the fiesta, a Pontifical Mass will be held at the Sto. Niῆo Parish Church to be followed by the Fluvial and Land Processions in the afternoon.
The executive committee headed by Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez enjoins organizations and individuals to participate in the various religious and socio-civic activities related to the City’s upcoming Fiesta Celebration.
(HENRY JAMES G.ROCA/CIO)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) is eyeing a P1.37 billion outlay to assist less privileged farmers in three Samar provinces under the Special Area for Agricultural Development (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 implementation in the past two years was a bit delayed, but for 2018, we are already on track with 62 percent of the P126.67 million budget for the year has already been disbursed,” said DA assistant regional director for operations Andrew Orais.
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.
“SAAD has no big infrastructure projects because our targets are small marginal farmers who are not regular beneficiaries of regular programs. These are meant for those who have not received interventions because they’re not capable of catching up with the requirements for beneficiaries,” Orais said.
The project focuses on improving production of rice, corn, vegetables, and livestock.
SAAD has two funding components. The first will be carried out by the provincial government through fund downloaded to the local government. The second component will be managed by the DA regional office.
It is a special program of the DA focusing on 10 top poorest provinces in the country, which include the three Samar provinces.
Activities are focused on social preparation and provision of agriculture and fishery-related livelihood interventions to address poverty in the 10 provinces.
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. (PNA)

TACLOBAN CITY- A group of supertyphoon ‘Yolanda’ survivors in the region called on the national government to demolish the substandard housing units which they refused to occupy five years after the deadly storm hit the region.
“First, they should destroy the substandard units because we believe that almost 80 percent of them are defective. It doesn’t matter whether the funds are wasted as long as our children are in a safe place,” Imelda Tacalan, 48, of Balangiga, Eastern Samar, said.
Tacalan, a leader of Community of Yolanda Survivors and Partners (CYSP), urged President Rodrigo Duterte to launch a bigger inquiry over the substandard and anomalous housing projects, saying certain heads must roll over the issue.
Dhon Daganasol, leader of CYSP affiliate group Katarungan-Eastern Visayas, also asked the President not to put its efforts into waste by ignoring the facts surrounding the bungled Yolanda housing program.
“To put a value on what the government is doing, the officials involved in this resettlement program should be held accountable,” said Daganasol.
During his recent visit to Eastern Samar, Usec. Wendel Avisado, presidential assistant for special concern, personally expressed his disappointments over the delays and backlogs of the government’s resettlement projects.
While the group has welcomed the efforts of Avisado, they also stood firm on their demand “to audit and review Yolanda projects, and allow for a participative, and genuine, people-centered rehabilitation.”
According to Vincent Basiano, another CYSP official from Tacloban City, the “relentless” complaints of the Yolanda survivors over the resettlement projects are “sufficient proof” that no consultation took place in Yolanda corridors.
“Consultation had been a difficult subject for the communities of Yolanda victims. Local government units claim that consultation had been going on. But if you look at it, there was no consultation that really happened reason we have this problem in Yolanda projects,” said Basiano.
Pete Carlos, another Yolanda survivor from Carigara, Leyte, also expressed his fear that the anomalies in the housing projects will continue to be unchecked if Mr. Duterte will not solve the issues before his term ends.
Earlier, National Housing Authority General Manager Marcelino Escalada Jr. announced that at least five housing officials could face suspension over the bungled Yolanda housing projects in the Visayas and Mindanao.
He also said that at least 46 unfinished housing projects will also be canceled due to various defects and negative slippage.
Out of the 205, 128 target units for Yolanda victims, 67, 754 units or 33 percent have been fully completed and 23, 414 or 11 percent were occupied as of August last year.
In Tacloban City, Yolanda’s ground zero, out of more than 14,000 housing units, over 9,000 units had already been awarded.
For the more than 50,000 housing units in the Eastern Visayas region, over 20,000 units had been turned over to the recipients.
(RONALD O. REYES)

Brgy. 1&4 – Maria Quebral
Brgy. 2 Jones – St. Guendolyn Selga
Brgy. 3 Upper Nula-Tula – Salvador Altares
Brgy. 5 T. Claudio/Lopez Jaena – Arjan Antig
Brgy. 5-A Sen. Enage/T. Claudio Rosalia Emphasis (Re-elected)
Brgy. 6 – Gabina Ladera
Brgy. 6-A Sto. Nino Extension – Edgar Canada
Brgy. 7 – Vilma Corbilla
Brgy. 8 Sofia Silagan
Brgy. 8-A Darlene Alberca
Brgy. 12 GE Palanog – Eduardo Tan
Brgy. 13 Salazar/J. Romualdez – Ava Tumambing
Brgy. 14 – Elmer Lee (Re-elected)
Brgy. 15 – Mirben Basilio (Re-elected)
Brgy. 16 – Eden Pineda (Re-elected)
Brgy. 17 – Benedicto Yerro (Re-elected)
Brgy. 18 – Jesusa Yu
Brgy. 19 – Erwin Cupta
Brgy. 20 (Downtown) – Arlene Hidalgo (Re-elected)
Brgy. 21-A P. Burgos – Lydia Gaspay (Re-elected)
Brgy. 22 -Gary Chu
Brgy. 23 – Isidro Macion, Jr. (Re-elected)
Brgy. 23-A – Lourdes Reglo
Brgy. 24 – Eduardo Hidalgo
Brgy. 25 – Timothy Waniwan
Brgy. 26 P.Gomez St. – Milagros Betanzor (Re-elected)
Brgy. 27 – Catheline Lou Superable
Brgy. 28 – Maria Medalla
Brgy. 29 P. Gomez/Paterno – Nicol Caroline (Re-elected)
Brgy. 30 – Philip John Cinco
Brgy. 31 – Vicente Marabe
Brgy. 32 – Edwardine Federica Almeria
Brgy. 33 (Downtown) – Dennis Chu (Re-elected/Unopposed )
Brgy. 34 Real St. – Raymund Lagutan
Brgy. 35 – Benito Nayra
Brgy. 35-A – Marcelino Del Rosario
Brgy 36 Sabang – Ma. Nilda T. Brazil (Re-elected)
Brgy. 36 – A – Rebecca Obenieta
Brgy. 37 Sea Wall – Francisco Yerro
Brgy. 37-A G.E. Palanog – Artemio Insigne, Jr. (Re-elected)
Brgy. 38 – Alice Chua
Brgy. 39 – Ricardo Ogardo
Brgy. 40 – Henry Herbert Yao (Re-elected)
Brgy. 41 – Jason Nicholas Go (Re-elected)
Brgy 42 (Downtown) – Federico Binghoy (Re-elected)
Brgy. 42-A Rolando Abogado
Brgy. 43 – Joel Demillo (Re-elected)
Brgy. 43-A Quarry District – Evelyn Magalona (Re-elected)
Brgy. 43-B – Teresita Malquisto
Brgy. 44 – Marilou Tiu
Brgy. 44-A Quarry – Rey Montilla (Re-elected/Unopposed )
Brgy. 45 – Ramon Salvador Dagandan (Re-elected)
Brgy. 46 Imelda/Juan Luna – Rebecca Paglinawan
Brgy. 47 – Rafael Banez (Re-elected)
Brgy. 48 – Silvestre Commendador (Re-elected)
Brgy. 48-A – Irvin Tañala (Re-elected)
Brgy. 48-B – Fernando Magdua
Brgy. 49 Youngfield – Rose Faith Uykieng
Brgy. 50 – Athena Grandeza
Brgy. 50-A – Alexander Bentulan (Re-elected)
Brgy. 50-B – Cielito Co (Re-elected)
Brgy. 51 – Rey Abeto
Brgy. 51-A Vicky Jornales
Brgy. 52 Lucban Magallanes**
Brgy. 53 – Thomas Walerico Butalid (Re-elected)
Brgy. 54 – Cyrill Malinao (Re-elected)
Brgy. 54 –A Ciriaco Villanueva (Re-elected)
Brgy. 55 El Reposo – Richard David Estrada
Brgy. 56 – Ceasar Advincula (Re-elected)
Brgy. 56-A Omar Go
Brgy. 57 Whitelane Sampaguita – Carol Enerez (Re-elected)
Brgy. 58 – Noel Tupaz (Re-elected)
Brgy. 59 Picas Sagkahan – Teresita Garcia (Re-elected)
Brgy. 59-A – Kenneth Mate (Re-elected)
Brgy. 59-B – Marife Diaz (Re-elected)
Brgy. 60 – Milagros Baoy
Brgy. 60-A – Rudyliza Mojados
Brgy. 61 – Marlyn Sampilo
Brgy. 62 Saging, Sagkahan – Erlindo Solis (Re-elected)
Brgy. 62-A Ilong Sagkahan – Felipa Espejo (Re-elected)
Brgy. 62-B – Rosita Luyten (Re-elected)
Brgy. 63 – Arlen Divino
Brgy. 64 Bliss Sagkahan – Arlene Superable Chua
Brgy. 65 – Joey Duenas
Brgy. 66 – Fe Marteja
Brgy. 66-A – Delia Bato (Re-elected)
Brgy. 67 – Charlie Retuerto (Re-elected)
Brgy. 68 – Arlen Ibanez
Brgy. 69 Anibong – Nelia Tabao
Brgy. 70 – Sherly Boca (Re-elected)
Brgy. 71 – Henry Solmeron
Brgy. 72 PHHC Seaside- Raul Asensi (Re-elected)
Brgy. 73- Edgar Allan Yu
Brgy. 74 Lower Nula-Tula – Nelia Malate (Re-elected)
Brgy. 75 – Estelita Daaco (Re-elected)
Brgy. 76 Marasbaras – Melchor Cañete (Re-elected)
Brgy. 77 Banezville Marasbaras – Sonia Surpia
Brgy. 78 Marasbaras – Erwin Bidua (Re-elected)
Brgy. 79 – Herwina Abendano
Brgy. 80 – Jessie Dayandante
Brgy. 81 Marasbaras – Iris Ting (Re-elected)
Brgy. 82 – Rustico Medina
Brgy. 83 Paraiso – Jan Michael De Veyra (Re-elected)
Brgy. 83-A Burayan – Ma. Resthia Tan (Re-elected)
Brgy. 83-B Cogon San Jose – Carlita Go Perez (Re-elected)
Brgy. 83-C – Bonifacio Dagami
Brgy. 84 San Jose – Dexter Bahin
Brgy. 85 – Chairman Santiago
Brgy. 86 San Jose – John Placa (Re-elected)
Brgy. 87 San Jose – Leo Bahin (Re-elected)
Brgy. 88 San Jose (Fisherman) – Emelita Montalban (Re-elected)
Brgy. 89 – Melba Villalino (Re-elected)
Brgy. 90 – Ramil Pedrosa
Brgy. 91 Abucay – Ricardo Benitez (Re-elected)
Brgy. 92 Apitong – Anastacio Wenceslao, Jr. (Re-elected)
Brgy. 93 –Jonathan Daylo
Brgy. 94 Tigbao – Lito Navarra (Re-elected)
Brgy. 94-A Basper – Edwin Bramida (Re-elected)
Brgy. 95 – Michael Millos (Re-elected)
Brgy. 95-A Caibaan – Albert Eviota (Re-elected)
Brgy. 96 – Jocelyn Rosales
Brgy. 97 – Lito Balangbang
Brgy. 98 – Alejandro Reataza (Re-elected)
Brgy. 99 – Mario Escarlan
Brgy. 100 San Roque – Jelito Dela Cruz (Re-elected)
Brgy. 101 – Leah Altobar
Brgy. 102 Caroline Jane Budano
Brgy. 103 Palanog – Silvino Baldesco, Jr. (Re-elected)
Brgy. 103 –A – Edgardo Condesa (Re-elected)
Brgy. 104 – Trinidad Quero (Re-elected)
Brgy. 105 – Eutequio Balunan (Re-elected)
Brgy. 106 – Alden Villarmino (Re-elected)
Brgy. 107 – Letecia Olino (Re-elected)
Brgy. 108 – Racheln Lacaba (Re-elected)
Brgy. 109 V&G – Raymund Balagapo
Brgy. 109 -A V&G – Rodolfo Padillo (Re-elected)
Brgy. 110 Utap – Rodolfo Miralles (Re-elected)

**Barangay 52 (Lucban Magallanes) – no declared winner yet. Candidates for Barangay Chairman Noel Martinez and Judy Trinidad received the same number of votes.

#TaclobanBarangayandSkElections2018
#TaclobanBarangayChairmen2018