CAMP GENERAL VICENTE LUKBAN, CATBALOGAN CITY – A platoon from 43rd Infantry (We Search) Battalion, while conducting security patrol in Barangay San Vicente, Catubig, Northern Samar, encountered undetermined number of CPP-NPA Terrorists (CNTs) at around 4:05 am on Thursday (April 5).
Troops were in the area to check the validity of the information relayed to them by the populace on the extortion activities of the armed group.
The encounter resulted in the apprehension of two suspected CNTs (their names are presently withheld) and the recovery of one M16A1 Elisco rifle, two magazines long, two magazines short, 79 rounds for 5.56mm ammunition, one Lenovo laptop, three USB drive, one memory card, two card readers and, two cellphones.
There was no casualty or injury on the government side.
Maj. Gen. Raul M. Farnacio, commander 8ID, lauded the troops for a job well done and urged them to be aggressive against the CNTs who continue to harass civilian communities thru armed threats and deceptions.
In his statement, Maj. Gen. Farnacio said that, “troops are there in the area to protect the people and safeguard the ongoing PAMANA Projects and other government projects in Northern Samar. This incident clearly shows that these CNTs are desperate to incur casualties to government troops to slow down the delivery of basic services of the government to the communities.”
“This terrorist group is responsible for large-scale extortion activities, and other criminal acts that instill fear and anxiety in the hearts and mind of the peace-loving Filipinos that greatly affects their day-to-day activities,” Farnacio added. (PR)
2 NPA members captured during a fire fight in N. Samar town
Leyte population office steps up drive on teenage pregnancy
PALO, Leyte- The Provincial Population Office of Leyte has stepped up its drive against teenage pregnancies in the province.
Melchora Cawile, acting provincial population officer, told Leyte Samar Daily Express that her office on instruction of Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, has drafted plans and activities and conducts regular symposium and counselling to teenagers for them understand about the hazards and complications of early pregnancies.
Cawile said that her office is doubling their efforts in the campaign against teen pregnancies in the province.
“We are discouraging our youth to become pregnant in the early age. We are campaigning and advising them during symposia not to be pregnant at early age but rather focus on their studies for them to have better future for their families. We believe that better future awaits them if they are educated. And they must be prepared and not that no planning for their future pregnancies,” she said.
She said that Gov. Petilla directed them to visit the hinterland barangays and schools to conduct regular symposium.
Cawile said that based on their findings, it is in the remote villages where they found most teenagers getting pregnant.
She said that the campaign against teen pregnancies is one of their challenges considering that the teenagers as young as 12 years old are gets pregnant.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
Inmate arrested a day after his escape in Leyte town
CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, PALO, Leyte- An inmate who escaped from his cell at the police custodial facility in Villaba, Leyte, was arrested a day after he bolted out from the facility.
Arrested by the police operatives of Villaba, headed by Senior Inspector Ricky Rubillos, was Alfredo Lubato who was charged of illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions.
Records from the said town police station disclosed that Lubato made his escape on Wednesday (April 4) at about 4:17 pm on the pretext that he would throw his garbage.
The duty police officer at that time, PO1 Thomas Alwin Ontuca allowed the suspect of his request but was surprised that Pable escaped by jumping off from the perimeter fence.
The suspect, resident of Sitio Mahanglad of Barangay A. Tumamak of said town, escaped towards the public cemetery.
But the suspect was arrested on Thursday (April 5) while he was inside a property owned by one Charina Ensoy at about 7:10 pm, also of the same village.
Lubato was brought to Villaba municipal police station for proper disposition. (PR)
Supply of NFA in the region is only good for a day
TACLOBAN CITY- The National Food Authority (NFA) in the region reported that it has only close to 13,000 bags of stock which could barely last a day.
Raymund Taffala, NFA assistant regional manager, however, was quick to say that while their supply has been depleted, there is still nothing to worry about.
“Our market contribution is just two percent compare to the commercial or household share. Rice supply of the region remains stable. There is nothing to worry about,” Tafalla said in a phone interview.
“The downside of it is that those who could not really afford or those who are really financially hard up have no NFA rice to buy,” he added.
An NFA rice per kilo ranges from P27 to P32 which are lower compare to commercial rice which are priced up to P52 per kilogram, depending on the quality.
Eastern Visayas has a daily rice consumption of 31,000 bags.
Tafalla said that their current stock of 12,955 sacks could not be distributed to their identified retailers in the region because these have been allocated to other government agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
Also part of the remaining stock are already to be distributed to Leyte (6,742 bags) and Northern Samar (4,191 bags), the NFA official said.
“We have actually stopped the distribution to our identified retailers since last month,” Tafalla said.
There are 4,960 NFA retailers across the region. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
Cristina to launch a branding campaign for Tacloban
As part of tourism promotion
By: JOEY A. GABIETA
TACLOBAN CITY- The city government under Mayor Cristina Romualdez is soon to launch a campaign giving Tacloban City its own branding as part of their effort to invite more tourists to visit the city.
Romualdez disclosed this saying that the launching of the campaign would take place before the city celebrates its annual fiesta on June 30.
By giving Tacloban its own brand, it would now be easy for tourists and even investors to have an easy recall of the city, considered the regional hub of Eastern Visayas.
“We will soon launch it. It will be a big launching,” Romualdez said.
The city mayor disclosed this on the heels of a successful national promotional campaign of Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan’s Spark Samar campaign held on March 9 at the SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.
She clarified that the campaign has been planned a year ago but was sidelined as she gave focus on other ‘immediate concerns’ of the city like providing accessible potable drinking water, particularly those located in the resettlement sites whose houses were destroyed when Tacloban was devastated by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ in 2013.
“We need to have a brand of our own as other cities have their own brand. We should have one of our own considering that Tacloban is the premier city of the region,” the city mayor said.
Asked for details on the campaign, Romualdez declined to say saying that they are still making some fine tuning on it with the help of their friends in an advertising company in Manila.
Romualdez, a former movie actress, also said they would solicit help from her friends in the movie industry on this campaign.
She, however, admitted that Tacloban will forever be known as the city that suffered massive devastation due to Yolanda, considered the world’s strongest typhoon to hit inland.
“We are known because of Yolanda but we have to rise up from the ashes, so to speak. We have to be positive and for the people outside to say that the city has recovered and that it has other beautiful things to offer for them,” Romualdez, a former movie actress said.
She said that aside from visiting Yolanda memorials constructed within the city one of which was a bow of a ship, M/V Eva Jocelyn located in Anibong district, which washed ashore when Tacloban City was pummeled by Yolanda on November 8,2013, visitors of the city could visit its other attractions like the San Juanico Bridge; the Santo Niño Shrine; Calvary Hills; and the Balugo Falls, among others.
“We want them to stay longer in Tacloban and on the following days, they could visit other places in the region. We are promoting not just Tacloban but Leyte and Samar,” Romualdez said.
Last year, 537,215 visited Tacloban of which more than 28,700 of them were foreigners.
At present, there are 83 hotels operating in the city with more than 2,500 combined rooms capacity.
The Robinsons’ Summit Hotel, which has a 380 room capacity, is to open this summer.
EV ready to welcome tourists in case of ‘Bora’ closure
TACLOBAN CITY-With the reported possible temporary closure of the Boracay Island to tourists, officials in the region hopes to take advantage of it.
Raoul Bacalla, municipal development environment and eco-tourism officer of Palompon town in Leyte, said that while they are ‘sad’ on the possibility that Boracay Island would be closed temporarily, they expect an increase of tourist arrivals at their Kalanggaman Island who will find it as an alternative from the famed tourist destination.
Kalanggaman Island is considered as among Eastern Visayas top tourism attractions known for its white powdery sand and crystal blue water located in Palompon, more than three hour drive from this city.
“We are sad about what’s happening in Boracay Island but we just have to have a positive perspective about it. We are actually prepared to welcome (possible influx of) tourists,” Bacalla, in a phone interview, said.
Last year, about 101,312 tourists visited Palompon generating an income of P19 million for the local government unit sourced from what they called conservation fee or entrance fee to the island.
According to Bacalla, they are limiting the number of tourists going to the island in a day to ensure that Kalanggaman would not suffered any possible destruction and avoid over-crowding.
“We limit to just 500 visitors a day. In fact, there were instances that we have to turn down some of the tourists because of this policy,” he said.
The local government unit also imposed an environment-friendly septic tank system to address the issue on waste water contamination of its beaches.
The system uses a kind of organomineral that hastens the decomposition of harmful bacteria present in septic tanks which results in non-contamination of water.
“We don’t have hard infrastructures in Kalanggaman Island except a pavilion which serves as an office for our staff and at the same time, a shelter for them during bad weather,” Bacalla said.
For her part, Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan said that they are positioning the province for tourists who are into adventure tourism like caving, torpedo boat extreme ride, among others.
“Of course, we are not happy if Boracay Island would be closed considering that it is famous the world over. But if ever, we are just ready to welcome tourists to our province,” Tan said.
The provincial government has recently launched its tourism and investment campaign program dubbed as ‘Spark Samar.’
Samar is the home of the Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park, considered the country’s largest cave system in Basey town; torpedo boat extreme ride in Ulot River, Paranas town; and Langun-Gobingob Cave in Calbiga town which is known for its largest karst cave in the country, among others.
President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier said that he would close the operations at the Boracay Island due to some environmental concerns.
(JOEY A. GABIETA/ROEL T. AMAZONA)