There have been killings lately and attempts to do so among elective government officials in certain parts of the country, and this is quite an alarming fact since, though the elections are over, such incidents still happen.
It is easy to cite politics as the motive behind these gruesome acts, the reason being that no other reasons are grave enough to provoke murder. Had these officials been linked to illegal drugs, we could blame the drug war for it—but this is still a policy that was espoused by the past regime, not by the present one. Business rivalry is also too shallow for a killing resort, and so is infidelity to a love partner if ever there is.
Politics, then, is the most potential reason, given the kind of political maneuverings that we have had in this country. Ours is a dirty politics, as has been proven time and again, and one attribute of which employs the filthy tactic of killing opponents. But this doesn’t mean personal encounters of political rivals drawing their pistols to shoot each other like what happens in wild West movies. They use men for hire, of course.
This brings us to the dire need to dismantle political armed groups otherwise known as private armies. Some powerful politicians who aim to perpetuate themselves in power are said to be maintaining these, not just for protection, but also to advance their ambitions and, most alarmingly, to annihilate their potential rivals. This calls for an iron fist and political will from the national government, which we don’t seem to have at the moment.
For as long as private armies, gunmen for hire, and other such elements exist, the likelihood of politically-motivated killings will prevail in this country and even turn rampant during the election seasons when politicos clash for the electorates’ support.
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Eastern Visayas Regional Director Robert Anthony Yu presented plaques of appreciation to Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) implementing agencies for their continued support in fast tracking land distribution activities in the region.
(JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA)
CATARMAN, Northern Samar – Field validation teams (FVTs) personnel from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Northern Samar received 16 brand-new motorcycles — Honda XR150Ls – to expedite the parcelization of the collective Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CCLOAs) in the province.
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Eastern Visayas Regional Director Robert Anthony Yu presented plaques of appreciation to Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) implementing agencies for their continued support in fast tracking land distribution activities in the region. (JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA)
DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III said the motorcycles would play a crucial role in the conduct of field validation activities, especially in areas where access roads are less conducive for four-wheeled vehicles.
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) implementing agencies renew their commitment of support to fast-track land distribution activities in Eastern Visayas. (JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA)
Engr. Jose M. Balberde, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II expressed his gratitude to the department thru the DAR Secretary for his active efforts and immediate response to address the needs of the FVTs, particularly in the validation of landholdings and field investigations under Project SPLIT implementation.
“This is one of the programs of DAR thru the efforts of Secretary Estrella, as a response to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s mandate to expedite the distribution of the individual land titles to the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) to strengthen land tenure security towards the improvement of their quality of life,” he said.
He disclosed that far-flung barangays in some municipalities are difficult to travel for four-wheeled vehicles and the appropriate mode of transportation is a motorcycle. With the provision of these motorcycles, field personnel, and FVTs can easily access these areas, especially in the conduct of field validation.
“The 16 newly delivered motorcycles are part of the 820 units that the Department had procured at an aggregate cost of P123 million,” he said.
After receiving the sixteen (16) units of motorcycles from the Regional Office, the DAR-Northern Samar conducted a blessing of these units to turn over to FVTs.
Project SPLIT is a World Bank-funded project of DAR. This project aims to improve the security of tenure and strengthen the property rights of the ARBs through the subdivision of collective Certificate of Land Ownership Awards or CCLOAs into individual titles.
The province also received a one-unit multi-function laser photocopier machine. (PR)
Canadian Ambassador David Hartmann and Elena C. Agala on a courtesy visit to the Canadian Embassy in the Philippines.
Violence become the new normal in the Philippines this late. One Senator calls our reality an ‘open season for killings’ and that is actually alarming.
Canadian Ambassador David Hartmann and Elena C. Agala on a courtesy visit to the Canadian Embassy in the Philippines.
The weekly news of ambushes and assassinations had become something of a boring topic that even with Filipinos’ penchant for controversial topics had become something that is unanimously alarming.
However, there are silver linings that even without the controversial label are worthy of a second gaze and even a closer look. And good news such as this must be given platform
The Rotary World Help may be a lesser known organization but its social impact to developing countries like the Philippines is huge.
Social Impact as described by University of Pennsylvania as : A focus first on achieving social impact – i.e., a meaningful improvement in the lives of others . The Rotary World Help is practicing Collaborative Philantrophy ;Collaborative philanthropy, also known as impact philanthropy, is defined as investors and nonprofits working together towards a social cause. Rotary World Help’s history is in a nutshell about the results it achieves Rotary started with the vision of one man — Paul Harris. The Chicago attorney formed the Rotary Club of Chicago on 23 February 1905, so professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships.
In Canada in 1993, the late Ted Segodnia together with fellow Vancouver club Rotarians, Bill Richwa and Ralph Towsley, organized the first shipment of medical supplies and equipment to Kiev. Bill, Ted and their wives went to Kiev to oversee the distribution of the supplies.
At the center of this effort in the Rotary World Help for the aid distribution in the Philippines is Ms. Elena Cordero Agala, a transplant to Vancouver Canada by way of Oras Eastern Samar.
With millions of dollars worth of aid to the marginalized communities in Eastern Visayas and other parts of the country to date, she agreed to have a second interview with this writer.
Rotary World Help as represented by Elena C. Agala was able to give container vans with books, medical supllies(medial beds, beddings tables,) computers, canned goods, childrens’ toys, and even a fire truck to some recipients mostly in Eastern Visayas.
Recent distribution includes the Palarao Elementary School in Leyte, Leyte;and the Bonifacio Bulante Elementary School in Tacloban City.
The Rotary World Help also organized International Dental Mission where they brought in Canadian dentists treat hundreds of Filipinos.
In all the organization was able to do this with the help of its club members in Canada and at the center of the efforts is Elena Cordero Agala , its board member and the spearhead of the efforts in the Philippines.
From 2002, the Rotary World Help was able to ship 430 container vans with an estimated USD 150 Million worth of goods to 61 countries including Ukraine and the Philippines.
Thus, in spite of the violent world and seemingly selfishness of the many, they, the Rotary World Help, had shown a whole new approach of giving. That of pooling their own resources, raising funds on their own and spending them to purchase goods to be given to people they don’t know and obviously incapable of repaying that kindness.
Elena Agala’s recent visit was in August 2022 and doing the giving for a month, using her own funds and bringing in the Rotary World Help Container Vans, she came back again this February with more goods to give, more time to spend and more smiles to get.
“We should never get tired of sharing whatever we can so people would also be motivated to do the same,” she said.
More than 560 newly-graduate soldiers were deployed to different Army units in the region in another effort to finally quell Eastern Visayas long-running insurgency problem.
TACLOBAN CITY — Over 560 new soldiers were deployed to different Army units across the region on Wednesday (March 8) in another move to help end Eastern Visayas’ problem on insurgency.
More than 560 newly-graduate soldiers were deployed to different Army units in the region in another effort to finally quell Eastern Visayas long-running insurgency problem.
The 564 soldiers, 27 of who were women, had just completed their basic military training last February 20 and were immediately deployed to the various units of the 8th Infantry Division.
Major General Camilo Ligayo, the 8th ID commanding general, led the send-off ceremony as he expressed confidence in the new privates’ ability to succeed in fighting the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
“After hurdling the rigorous training, it is with great expectations that you are physically, emotionally, and psychologically prepared to face the multifarious challenges ahead,” Ligayo told the newly-minted soldiers.
Aside from addressing the insurgency problem, the new soldiers will also be ready to conduct any humanitarian efforts, especially during a disaster situation, Ligayo added.
The 8th ID is targeting to end the insurgency problem of the region within three to six months of this year.
Earlier, elite members of the Scout Rangers and soldiers from the 42nd Infantry Brigade and 74th IB were also deployed particularly to Northern Samar where four of the five remaining guerilla fronts are operating. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO, Leyte– The Department of Health reported that there region has 331 cases of hand, foot, and mouth (HFM) cases since the start of the year.
This was disclosed by the health agency’s regional information officer, Jelyn Malibago, adding that most of the affected had ages ranging from zero to 17 years old.
Malibago clarified that HFMD is a virus and is not deadly but is highly contagious.
“It can be cured with or without treatment. However, it depends on the variant of the virus if the affected person will not manage, it will result in polio, paralysis, meningitis, and other possible complications,” she said.
Malibago said that 50 percent of the cases originated from the community while other sources were from homes and daycares.
Among the symptoms of HFM include fever, sore throat, and rashes.
DOH also provides public advisory to always practice preventive measures like proper hygiene, wearing facemasks, and washing of hands with soap. Isolation is advised to the infected people.
Wearing personal protective equipment is advised for every healthcare worker. Parents and guardians are advised not to take their children off to school when they have symptoms. (ELLA MAE M. RITA, LNU Student Intern)
A red fighter and three members of the CPP-NPA’s underground mass organization (UGMO) withdrawn their loyalty and surrendered to PLt.Col. Rolando C Dellezo, force commander of 2nd Eastern Samar Provincial Mobile Force Company, Brgy. Buenavista, Quinapondan, Eastern Samar.
On March 2, 2023, ‘Ka Arman’, NPA red fighter, 42 years old from Brgy. Binalay, Gen Macarthur, Eastern Samar turned in his caliber 45 with three live ammunitions to this unit.
After few days, upon knowing the surrender of their comrades, on the morning of March 8, 2023, two officers and a regular member of NPA’s front organization have withdrawn their support and renewed their allegiance to the government in the person of alias Armina, chairman, 64 years old; alias Daling, vice-chairman, 67 years old; and alias Sarah, 31 years old, all residents of Brgy. Vigan, Gen Macarthur Eastern Samar and all members of Batakang Organisasyong Partido (BOP) of Barangay Vigan Chapter.
Their surrender was facilitated by the joint efforts of 2nd ESPFMC and 805th Maneuver Company of Regional Mobile Force Battalion 8 (RMFB 8).
“We are looking forward that more supporters of the Communist Terrorist Groups in the province will denounce their loyalty and return to the folds of law.” PLTCOL DELLEZO said.
The former rebel and CTG supporters are now under the custody of 2nd ESPMFC for documentation and proper disposition.
Further, this unit in coordination with the concerned LGU is now looking for possible assistance to be given to the said surrenders while verification in all courts is now being facilitated for any possible standing Warrant of Arrest against them. (PR)
