TACLOBAN CITY- Billboards showing some of the region’s top tourist destinations were put in display at the Tacloban new bus terminal and in a private van terminal with the aim of attracting tourists to visit these tourism gems.
The unveiling of these promotional billboards showing the tourist destinations of the region like the Biri Rock Formations in Biri, Northern Samar, Sambawan Island in Maripipi, Biliran and Kalanggaman Island in Palompon, Leyte, was held on Friday (July 27).
The project was initiated by the An Waray party-list group in coordination with the city government of Tacloban under Mayor Cristina Romualdez and the regional Department of Tourism (DOT).
Florencio ‘Bem’ Noel, former congressman of the An Waray party-list group, said that the project aims to encourage the locals to visit these regional tourism attractions.
According to Noel, it is quite disheartening to note that several of the people in the region have not visited these God- given attractions.
“I myself is guilty of it,” the former solon admitted.
Noel said that it was for this reason why this undertaking was initiated and with the tarpaulins purposely displayed in public places like the city’s bus terminal as these are frequented by the public.
Noel said that they are hoping that through this undertaking, the local people will start to patronize these destinations and help promote them in the process.
“Our intention is to attract our local tourists,” he said.
Malou Tabao, acting city tourism officer, seconded the statement of Noel saying that the city government is throwing its full support on this project.
“This will not only benefit Tacloban City but the entire region eight,” Tabao said.
Norberto Lumbre of the DOT-8 said that their office is thankful for this initiative of the An Waray party-list as well as by the Tacloban City, as this could help them in promoting Eastern Visayas as a tourism destination.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY-Three major streets in downtown here in the city will be open for a two-way traffic starting August 1.
The streets in Sto. Niῆo, Del Pilar and Paterno, classified as one-way when the city government implemented an experimental traffic scheme on November 24 of last year, will now be two-way streets.
The city government, under the administration of Mayor Cristina Romualdez, has implemented a one-way traffic scheme in major streets based on Executive Order 2017-11-80 which ended January of this year.
On February 20 of this year, the city government introduced a similar traffic scheme.
The city government in partnership with the University of the Philippines National Center for Traffic Studies (UP-NCTS) conducted a traffic study to implement a new traffic scheme.
The study came up with a modified version of the one- way scheme enforced on 2016.
It also recommended on street parking, identification of bike lanes, the strict enforcement of ordinance on illegal sidewalk vending and crackdown on the existence of illegal terminals.
Under the proposed scheme, the following will be designated as one-way streets: Rizal Avenue, Avenida Veteranos St., Real St., Justice Romualdez St, P. Burgos St., Zamora St., Salazar St., Juan Luna Street. Two-way streets are Gomez St., M.H. del Pilar St., and Sto. Nino St. and Paterno St.
Juan Luna Street, fronting Rizal Central School, will be closed to traffic.
Advisory signages will be installed in strategic areas to ensure that motorists will follow the new traffic scheme.
City Vice Mayor Jerry Yaokasin said that the council need to have a copy of the traffic scheme to be introduced starting on August 1.
“We are eagerly awaiting the final proposed Traffic Management Program from UPNCTS so that we can enact (an) ordinance that will legalize (the) traffic scheme,” he said. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

BABATNGON, Leyte- A farm-to-market road was inaugurated in this town recently, a report from the Leyte provincial government said.
Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, who led in the cutting of ribbon ceremony during the cereony,told Leyte Samar Daily Express that the farm-to- market road worth P 2 million was funded by the provincial government.
Gov. Petilla said that the road situated in sitio Sogod, Barangay District 4 of this town will be a great help to the farmers in bringing their farm products to the market at the town center.
He added that his office gave priority in the construction of this road considering the need and the clamor of the farmers for its construction.
Also present during the inauguration ceremony were Lt. Col. Danilo Dupiag, battalion commander of the 78th Infantry Battalion, and the barangay officials of Brgy. District 4.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

TACLOBAN CITY-About 54 human rights victims during the Martial Law received their compensation from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) regional office based this city.
The 54 claimants were the last victims of human rights abuses from the region during the Marcos dictatorship to receive their compensation from the government through the Human Rights Victims Claims Board(HRVCB)
In all, there were 1,024 victims of human rights abuses from the region who recieved compensation from the government.
Lawyer Byron Bocar of the HRVCB, said that while the sufferings experienced by the victims could not really be compensated monetarily, at least, it could help them somehow.
“As they say in Filipino, walang kapalit ang kanilang naranasan noon. But at least, the compensation that they received will somehow help them,” Bocar said.
Bocar was in the city to personally distribute the checks to the human rights victims on Wednesday and Thursday at the CHR regional office.
The amount received by the victims depended on the gravity of what they experienced. If, for example, one has suffered physical injuries in the hands of state agents, they were entitled to receive more than P170,000.
The families of those who were killed or declared as missing, could receive as much as P1 million.
The money used in giving compensation to human rights victims were from an ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses recovered by the Philippine government.
About P10 billion was set aside by the government to provide compensation to more than 11,000 victims of human rights abuses in the country.
One of those who received the compensation was Timoteo Alabad,72, from Barangay Binolho, Javier town in Leyte.
Alabad was 40 years old when he was detained first at the Javier municipal station and later to the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa as he was charged for multiple murder by the military.
“Of course, it was not true. They claimed that I was a member of the New People’s Army and participated in a fake ambush incident,” Alabad, who was released from the national penitentiary in 1987, or a year after the Marcos dictatorship was ousted during the People Power I.
Alabad said that while he welcome the compensation he received from the government, he could not help but be reminded of what happened to him in the past.
“No amount of money could compensate of what I went through. I was tortured and imprisoned due to trumped up charges,” he said.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

BURAUEN, Leyte- “Charity is injurious unless it helps the recipient to become independent on it.”
Thus said Lurelyn Raymundo, Mactan bank manager-Tacloban Branch, during the inauguration of a water pump project at the Villa Rosas Elementary School(VRES), this town.
The Mactan Bank funded the water pump project through its Ysay Foundation.
The construction of the water pump system project in the school was realized through the efforts of the school personnel led by school principal Melvin Amago and duly supported by PSDS Josefina Yu.
The water pump is expected to provide clean water to the 165 students and teachers of the VRES.
“Hinaut unta makabulig an water pump system ha mga bata ngan kamaestrahan ha VRES,” Yu said.
The school is located in Barangay Villa Rosas which is about six kms away from the town center of Burauen.
This water pump is the main source of water for VREsians and still functioning until this time. The water pump is in its 2nd year since it was inaugurated.
(Note: The author is the principal of the Villa Rosas Elementary School located in Brgy. Villa Rosas, Burauen, Leyte)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Tacloban City Government under Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez will implement a new traffic scheme in the Central Business District, starting on Wednesday, August 1, 2018.
In a traffic advisory, the city government said the implementation of the new traffic management and re-routing scheme is aimed at easing traffic along roads within the downtown area.
Under the new traffic scheme to be implemented by the Traffic Operations, Management, Enforcement, and Control Office (TOMECO) in coordination with Taskforce Kanhuraw, streets formerly designated as one-way will be opened to two-way traffic such as M. H. Del Pilar, Sto. Nino and Paterno Streets.
As part of the recommendation of the Traffic Management Study conducted by the UP National Center for Traffic Studies (UPNCTS), motor cabs for hire (MCH) will be restricted to enter the following streets: Justice Romualdez, J.P Rizal Avenue, Avenida Veteranos and Real.
The truck ban ordinance will be strictly enforced such that trucks and other large vehicles covered by the ordinance will only be allowed to enter the downtown area only through Real Street.
To inform the motorists of the new traffic scheme Traffic advisory signages will be installed in strategic areas disclosed the TOMECO.
Meantime, the 10 installed hybrid system of traffic lights with cameras in city intersections, will have its dry-run prior to the implementation of the traffic scheme.
Dry runs have been scheduled for Thursday and Friday this week.
As part of the scheduled implementation of the new traffic scheme, members of the traffic enforcement team are currently undergoing basic traffic training.
The UP-NCTS study is part of the city government’s initiative to come up with a professional and scientific approach to solve the emerging traffic woes of the city.
(HENRY JAMES ROCA/CIO)