CATBALOGAN CITY – The Steve Harvey moment has caught in this year’s Sinulog Festival, at least on the rightful winner on the best in festival costume category.
The correct winner for the category was from this city, Mary Faith Tan- Voz Libres, who during the awarding ceremony in Cebu City on January 19, was declared only as the first runner-up.
The candidate of Daanbantayan, Cebu, Isabel Luche, was declared as the winner in the category.
But the mistake was corrected by the organizers of the Sinulog Festival after it was declared as the winners were about to get their prizes.
It turned out that the candidate from this city was the rightful winner in the said category and not the candidate of the Daanbantayan whose costume was made of miniature huts, rice paddies similar to the Banaue Rice Terraces.
In a press statement released by the Sinulog Foundation Incorporated, the organization explained what transpired during the Festival Queen Competition that eventually resulted to the wrong announcement of winners in the best in festival costume.
“With respect to the contestants’ costumes, there were two categories involved namely best in Sinulog Festival costume and best in costume design. The tabulation result shows that the Municipality of Daanbantayan, Cebu won the best in costume design category while the city of Catbalogan, Samar won the best in Sinulog Festival costume category,” the statement said.
“However, human error coupled by stringent verification procedures caused a misappreciation of the two separate categories. As a result thereof, the information announced was that Daanbatayan won the Best in Sinulog Festival Costume,” the statement added.
The statement also said that the foundation is also reviewing existing procedures and protocols to ensure that the incident will never happen.
And on Monday (March 12), more than two months after the staging of the contest, the organizers of the Sinulog Festival headed by its program director, Jess Anthony de la Cruz, personally went to this city to give the award to Libres and was witnessed by Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan.
Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan warmly welcomed the gesture of the foundation to correct the mistake and eliminate all doubts regarding the said competition.
The city further assured the support of Catbalogan City through Tribu Katbalaugan in future competitions which they had been participating for four years now.
Officials of the city however said that they will be taking a hiatus in the Sinulog Festival next year in “order to reflect, rediscover and perhaps to rebrand Tribu Katbalaugan — Catbalogan’s official festival contingent.”
To recall, during the staging of the Miss Universe 2015, American television host Steve Harvey wrongfully declared the candidate from Columbia, Ariadna Gutierrez, as that year’s winner only to correct himself minutes later that the real winner was the Philippines’ Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY- One of the country’s leading transport providers, Grab, is soon to launch its operations in this city with destinations across Eastern Visayas.
This was disclosed by Grab officials in a press conference on Thursday saying they are ‘excited’ in coming to the city, the regional capital of the region.
Initially, about 100 privately-owned cars and 50 units of existing taxi based in this city have been identified by Grab as their possible operators.
Leo Gonzales, spokesperson of Grab Philippines’ public affairs unit, said that they have conducted a feasibility study since last year before they decided to come to Tacloban to operate.
“We go around Tacloban City which is the regional hub of Eastern Visayas. The daytime population of the city is close to one million; everybody travel in and out of the city. We’re excited to come here,” he said.
With their operations, Tacloban City will be the ninth area in the country where Grab operates.
At present, it operates in Metro Manila, Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro City, Baguio, Davao City, and Pampanga.
Gonzales said that they will first conduct a three-week dry run in the city before going to full operations.
He said that they have decided to have the existing taxi units and privately-owned cars in the city as their partners and not to bring their own units to help further congestion of traffic.
Tacloban City is suffering from a worsening traffic situation due to the increased number of vehicles, both public and privately-owned, plying its major streets.
Mel Lloron, spokesperson of the regional Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), said that the coming of Grab to the city would be of big help not only to the commuters but even on their campaign on modernization of public vehicles.
This is because only vehicles of around three years are to be allowed to become Grab partners, he said.
“The presence of Grab in the region is really a good thing for the transportation industry. I hope the operators will help (our) modernization program,” Lloron said.
He also said that the operation will also help address concern on drivers who ask exorbitant fare among its passengers.
As to how much will be the Grab fare is still to be discussed by the LTFRB and Grab management. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA-8) joined in the observance of the International Women’s Day 2018 last March 8, 2018.
As part of the celebration women clienteles were given roses with inspirational quotes to honor and express appreciation to them.
Moreover, the agency prepared the following activities for the month-long celebration of women’s month: free coffee and candies will be offered to clienteles from March 9 to 31. Films with relevant content to the celebration will also be shown on the same dates.
Scholars of the Skills-for-Employment Scholarship Program (SESP) will also offer free massage, manicure and pedicure on March 13, 15, 20 and 22, 2048.
Free blood pressure check-up will be held on March 16 and 23, 2018.
OWWA-8 is one with the nation in giving due recognition to the contributions of Filipino Women in our society through creating and facilitating platforms to discuss good practices, gaps, challenges , and commitments in pursuing gender and development and inspiring and empowering women to contribute in promoting gender equality and the empowerment to all women. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY — Eastern Visayas officials have reiterated their call to the national government to give more attention to 37 areas in Leyte and Samar provinces affected by conflicts.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Regional Director Marivel Sacendoncillo said agencies need to check if they are making these areas with an insurgency problem a priority in the implementation of development projects.
“If we expect change, there should be appropriate interventions. We should look at our programs and see if we prioritize the delivery of services to conflict areas,” Sacendoncillo said in an interview Thursday.
The DILG regional chief proposed the setting up of a monitoring system to find out what the local government and national government are doing for the development of conflict-stricken areas.
In its latest report, the Philippine Army disclosed that three cities and 24 towns in the region have confirmed activities of the New People’s Army (NPA).
There are 404 active NPA members equipped with 576 firearms in the region’s four provinces, according to the military.
Department of Budget and Management Regional Director Imelda Laceras has asked the Philippine Army to regularly provide insurgency situation updates to the Regional Development Council and agencies tasked to deliver basic services.
“This is to guide concerned agencies to go where they are supposed to go. Conflict-affected areas should be a top priority. I don’t think it is highly considered now,” Laceras said. “We need to give the same level of support to these areas for budgetary allocation in 2019 otherwise these areas will remain as what they are now.”
Sacendoncillo has called for a review of sites of anti-poverty projects, such as farm-to-market roads and rural health centers, if these are being placed in areas with insurgency threats.
“Make sure that projects are in sites where they are needed most. If we will overlay the programs into the map of security agencies, we can see if the project matches the needs,” she added.
The military has raised major issues why insurgency thrives in some areas even after decades of gun battle. These are poverty, land distribution, poor road networks, no electricity, no clean water, lack of access to education, absence of health and other government services, no economic opportunities, and political dynasties. (SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

CATARMAN, Northern Samar– Top officials of this province are now officially members of the ruling Partido Demokratikong Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), leaving only Rep. Raul Daza as the lone non-party member in the province.
Governor Jose Ong and his nephew, Rep. Edwin Ongchuan, Vice Gov. Gary Lavin, provincial board members and 22 town mayors took their oath as new PDP-Laban members before House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez during a mass oath-taking ceremony held at the University of Eastern Philippines Gymnatorium in the capital town of Catarman on March 8.
The top officials of the province joined the more than 3,200 others as new members of the party of President Rodrigo Duterte which lost in the province during the 2016 presidential elections.
With their affiliation with the ruling party, Gov. Ong said that they are now committed to support all the programs of the Duterte administration, to include the plan towards federalism.
“I pledge to the Speaker with an assurance that we will deliver a strong Yes to federalism under a new Constitution,” the governor said.
But his elder brother, former congressman Jose Ong, did not took his oath like his former rival, Daza, who still a member of the Liberal Party.
The former solon said that while he remains to be with the National Unity Party (NUP), he still considers himself an original member of the administration party.
“When I ran for assemblyman in 1984 I ran under the PDP. Kasi nagboycott noon ang LP (Liberal Party). Ginawa ako nina Nene (Aquilino) Pimentel as charter member. Kaya hindi na ako kailangan mag take oath, nauna na ako noon,”, he said.
He added that the NUP of which he serves as its vice president has an existing coalition with PDP-Laban of which he was also one of the signatories.
Meantime, Daza said that his presence during the event was only out of courtesy to Speaker Alvarez and to show that the coalition forged by the LP and the PDD-Laban in the province still exists.
During the event, Speaker Alvarez had chided the veteran solon to jump ship and join the PDP-Laban.
“Si Manong Raul baka gusto ring mag take oath”, Alvarez said when he was giving instructions to the crowd of about 4,000 for the ceremonial oath-taking.
When Alvarez’s microphone malfunctioned, he jokingly blamed it to the LP.
“Kaingon ko taga- Liberal ni nga akong microphone”, Alvarez said which sent the crowd into laughter.
Daza took the ribbings of Alvarez lightly saying the Speaker was only joking.
“He was smiling when he was talking. So I did not take offense,” he said.
Pantaleon arrived via a private aircraft along with his partner Jennifer Vicencio, Davao first district Rep. Karlo Nograles and Maguindanao second district Rep. Zajid “Dong” Mangudadatu.
Representatives from other provinces in the region – Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, Samar first district Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento, Leyte second district Rep. Henry Ong – and UEP President Dr. Rolando Delorino also attended the activity.(RACHEL V. ARNAIZ)

KANANGA, Leyte – A 12-year old boy from a remote village of this town died few hours after a venomous snake bit him at the rice field Tuesday at about 10 in the morning.
The victim, Jason Tasan, a resident of Barangay Libertad, was with his mother when he was attacked by the snake, biting him in his chest.
Based on the report, the victim, who was a fifth grader at the Libertad Elementary School, was with his mother to gather some spilled newly-harvested rice grains.
Beatriz, the victim’s mother, said that her son went ahead from her group hoping to gather more grains for the family when suddenly she heard him shouting for help.
The shocked mother rushed to his rescue and carried him on her back to return home. The boy was already complaining of weakness and almost fainted.
The long walk may have triggered the venom to spread before the child was given first aid from a traditional medicine and later brought to a hospital in Ormoc City, about 30 kilometers away.
He, however, was declared dead by his attending physician minutes after he received an anti-venom injection.
The boy was the second child of Beatriz to die due to a snake bite. In 1990, another son was bitten by a snake at their village.
(ELVIE ROMAN-ROA)