TACLOBAN CITY- The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is calling pensioners who are 79 years old and below to have their UMID (unified multipurpose identification) cards revalidated by the end of this month.
Failure to do would mean possible suspension of their monthly pensions, GSIS officials said during a media forum on June 26.
GSIS branch manager Igmidio Ponay Jr. said that the affected pensioners should personally appear before their office or use GWAPS kiosk to reactivate their UMIDs and ensure that they could receive their monthly pensions.
Ponay said that pensioners who are 80 years old and above and those suffering from medical problems would not be required to personally appear before their office.
They could instead request any GSIS personnel to have the process be done right at their homes, he added.
Ponay warned that failure of the concerned pensioners to have their UMID cards revalidated would mean suspension of their monthly pensions for three months.
For more questions and clarifications, affected pensioners can call in this telephone nos. 323-2506 or 523-0125 or visit their website www.gsis.gov.ph.
(MARIA FELINDA CADA, HYDE OPADA, ESSU Student Intern)

TACLOBAN CITY- An information technology park property specialist was crowned as the first ever Ginoong Sangyaw held on June 25.
Cris Bernales, who is from Catbalogan City, bested 14 other candidates to bag the title.
Aside from getting the Ginoong Sangyaw title, the 25-year old Bernales also received several special awards like the Mister Robinsons Mall, where the pageant was held.
Bernales said that in his own right, he would like to help protect the environment, as he involves himself on marine protection and conservation.
The 5’9 looker received P30,000 as one of his prizes and the chance to represent Tacloban City in a national Ginoong competition.
Rounding up in the winners’ circle were: 1st runner-up Ginoong Turismo Leonel Lopez Cuyo; 2nd runner-up Ginoong Kalikasan Denver Sim; 3rd runner-up Joseph Ruel Geneston and 4th runner-up Clint Tyrone Capon.
All received cash prizes.
Criteria of the competition were based on the overall performance of the 15 candidates from day one to coronation day on professionalism, scored by the organization, talent and costume showcase, preliminary fashion show presentation on poise and bearing, stage deportment, fitness and audience impact.
The holding of the Ginoong Sangyaw is organized by the Sangyaw Foundation in support of the city government under Mayor Cristina Romualdez and part of the activities of the annual city fiesta of Tacloban.(GAY B. GASPAY,TISAT/SFI; MARIE CRISSALYN AGUJA, ADFC Student Intern; GILAME P.RONCALES, EDEN C. TEJERO, ESSU Student Interns)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) should be more cautious to avoid another incident of misencounter among themselves.
Thus said Senator Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ Aquino IV, reacting to the incident in Sta. Rita, Samar that resulted in the death of six policemen and wounded nine others on Monday (June 25).
“Nangyari na po ang friendly encounter kahit nung sa Marawi and kailangan po talaga maging maingat po ang ating kapulisan at ang Armed Forces para masiguro na walang buhay na nawawala po dahil sa kasama rin natin sa gobyerno,” Aquino said.
The senator was in the city as a guest during the holding of Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals on Wednesday (June 27).
“Kailangan maging maingat po talaga tayo sa mga engkwentro. Hindi po naging malinaw sa akin kung ano po ang nangyari yun. May nag-banggit po na baka wrong intelligence; may nag banggit kanina na hindi daw nakita. Right now, ang mahalaga po ay magbigay po tayo ng kalinga dun sa mga pamilya ng namatayan and hopefully very soon, kapag malinaw na po ang mga detalye, makita na po nating kung ano ang pwedeng gawin upang hindi na po ito maulit muli,” Aquino said.
Following the incident, the 8th Infantry Division and the Police Regional Office 8 immediately conducted separate investigations.
The incident in sitio Lunoy, Sta. Rita resulted in the death of six policemen- PO1 Wyndell Noromor, PO1 Edwin Ebrado, PO1 Phil Rey Mendigo, PO1 Julius Suarez, PO1 Rowell Reyes, and PO1 Julie Escalo.
Wounded in the same incident were nine policemen- PO1 Elmer Pan, PO1 Cris Angelo Pialago, PO1 Romulo Cordero, PO1 Joenel Gonzaga, PO1 Rey Barbosa, PO1 Roden Goden, PO1 Jaime Galoy, PO1 Rommel Bagunas and PO1 Jomark Adones.
The policemen are part of the 805th Mobile Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 8 while the military personnel belong to the Charlie Company of the 87th Infantry Battalion. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY–Maasin city mayor Nacional “Nikko” Mercado has disclosed that they already have a “person of interest” who was allegedly behind the contamination of the city’s water source by pouring it with kerosene which sent panic to some residents recently.
Despite what happened, Mercado clarified that the no one was killed or harmed when the breach took place at the Maasin Water District’s (MWD) main source in the mountain of Canlited, Barangay San Jose on June 15, 2018, contrary to some reports.
“Official police report in Maasin City does not record of any fatality caused by intake or use of water from Maasin Water District,” Mercado said in an interview.
“In fact, according to the police, no complaints of any harm or injury caused by MWD water were ever received by its station since June 15, 2018, the day when the intentional pollution of MWD water allegedly occurred until the present,” he added.
According to the mayor, no hospital, public or private, or any health clinic in the city has reported of any such incident.
Mercado stressed that police and security personnel are strictly guarding the reservoirs of MWD to prevent similar malicious mischiefs.
Water district employees had already decontaminated and conducted flushing procedure at the said water source.
It was learned that it was the first time that this incident happened in the water district in its over 30 years of operation.
Authorities also conducted an investigation over the incident.
(RONALD O. REYES)

NAVAL, Biliran- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region VIII celebrated its 120th anniversary and sportsfest in a two-day event on June 21-22, 2018 simultaneously with other DPWH Offices nationwide.
“For 365 days, let us give these two days for us to celebrate, giving thanks to God, giving thanks to our officials, to ourselves, to each one of us, thank you for your continuous support that is why we existed and it (DPWH) is getting stronger,” Edgar B. Tabacon, regional director said during his welcome address.
Thirteen District Engineering Offices of the region including Biliran District Engineering Office (DEO) gather for the said occasion to have fun and develop camaraderie and sportsmanship through sports activities.
The activity started with a thanksgiving mass at the open field of the DPWH Regional Office, Baras Palo, Leyte at 8:00 in the morning officiated by Fr. Norman Abolencia followed by a short parade around the Government Center in Palo.
The competition for the best in muse highlighted the morning event of the first day of celebration. Photo exhibit contest also opened at the DPWH multipurpose hall displaying completed/proposed high impact projects of the 13 district engineering offices.
The sports activities started at 1:00 in the afternoon which included basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, dart and chess but the highlight of the celebration is the Search for Mr. DPWH Sportspoof 2018 in the evening.
Fourteen ‘straight’ men candidates representing their engineering offices came out as lovely ladies vying for the title. In the middle of the said competition, there was a Search for DPWH Curatcha King and Queen.
The second day of the celebration started with the DPWH Unity Fun Run at 5:00 in the morning competing for the 3k, 5k and 10k run.
Due to unfinished game for the sport badminton, Atty. Neil N. Re-oma, president of Rank and File Employees Union (RFEU), Region VIII said that awarding ceremony for the winners of the different competitions will be held during the second Regional Quarters Meeting.
DPWH is celebrating 120 years anniversary with the theme “Bridging Modern Development”. The department started as the Department of War and Public Works in 1898 during the revolutionary government under the time of President Emilio Aguinaldo. In 1987, after several revolutions, it became the Department of Public Works and Highways, as it is known today. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY- The National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) together with the Department of Labor and Employment conducted a NMP-Media partnership forum on Monday (June 25).
On that day, NMP executive director Romulo Bernales led the inauguration of their new seafarer training complex in Barangay Cabalawan, this city.
During the forum, NMP officials discussed their various programs like the legal rights and benefits of seafarers.
(HYDE A. OPADA, MA. FELINDA CADA, ESSU Student Interns)