TACLOBAN CITY-Eastern Visayas’ iconic San Juanico Bridge, which connects Leyte and Samar Islands, turned purple on Sunday night to honor Queen Elizabeth II who passed last Thursday.
Purple is a color associated to royalties.
Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan, on her Facebook post, said that the world’s longest-serving monarch has ‘inspired many Samarnon women to become leaders.’
“Her life was a testament of unwavering commitment and her 70-year reign as Queen was marked with gentleness and a mother’s loving touch. Her sense of duty is something that we should all emulate,” she said.
“From across the continents, we offer our sincere condolences to the loved ones she left behind and the people she so honorably served,” Tan added.
The 2.1 kms San Juanico Bridge is now undergoing some rehabilitations which include the aesthetic lighting project at a cost of P80 million funded by the Department of Tourism’s infrastructure and enterprise zone authority.
President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr., it was learned, is expected to lead in a ceremony for the formal opening of the said aesthetic lighting project.
The San Juanico Bridge, once the country’s longest bridge, was built during the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. as a gift to his wife, Imelda, who is from Leyte.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

ORMOC CITY- A family of five persons survived when the boat they were on board capsized about 7:30 am on Saturday (Sept 10) off the waters in Southern Leyte.
Police Lieutenant Jaraid Dollesin, chief of police of San Ricardo town, identified the victims as Joselyn Murillo, 49, her son Edgar Jr.28, and his wife Belinda, 27, and their children John Mark, 9, and France Mhyrell, 8, all residents of Barangay Benit, San Ricardo.
Lt. Dollesin, in a telephone interview, disclosed that the pump boat departed from their village about before 7 am bound for Lipata, Surigao del Norte.
However, their motorized pump boat encountered big waves that resulted for it to capsize.
However, follow-up information was received by their station disclosed that the capsized motor pump boat and victims were rescued by the crews of M/V Maria Vanissa of Montenegro Shipping which happened to be at the area going to the port of Liloan, Southern Leyte.
(ROBERT DEJON)

ORMOC CITY- A machine shop and a nearby house were turned to ashes when a fire of still unknown origin gutted the area about 4:05 AM on Sept. 9) at Zone 15, Baybay City.
Acting City Fire Marshal, S/Insp Fernando Mandia, identified the house owners as Victoriano Yu, 71, the machine shop owner, and Rodrigo Albarico Fernandez, 67, married, both residents of Zone-15 in the said city.
It was learned that the fire started at the machine shop.
Initial investigation conducted by SFO1 Al Sta. Iglesia, duty fire investigator, disclosed that the fire started while Yu was sleeping inside his nipa hut which is located nearby to his machine shop.
Yu told fire investigators that he heard a burst sound prompting him to get up from his bed and look outside where he noticed a fire that emanated from his machine shop.
He immediately took a fire extinguisher with the intention of putting off the fire but to no avail.
Sta. Iglesia said that because there are flammable materials inside the machine shop, the fire immediately engulfed the entire machine shop.
Unfortunately, it reached the adjacent house owned by Fernandez, which is made of light materials and was partially gutted with an estimated worth of damages for the adjacent house P200,000.
The damage to the machine shop owned by Yu is estimated to be worth P2 million.
The fire was under control at around 4:32 am and was totally out at around 4:50 am.
No casualty was reported as the fire office has yet to determine the origin of the fire incident.
(ROBERT DEJON)