TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and its provincial office in Leyte together organized a ‘Diskwento’ Caravan dubbed as “Presyong Panalo Mamimiling Pilipino” with various goods sold at lower prices held at Plaza Rizal, this city.
The event, which opened last Wednesday(May 23) provides good quality of school supplies, food and non-food products in lower prices which is the basic needs for consumers children for the opening of classes.
School supplies like writing materials, notebooks, school uniforms, school shoes and for food, biscuits and drinks for children are being sold at discounted prices as high as 50%.
The caravan is a public service of the DTI, in partnership with big manufactures and/ distributors to help relieve workers through non-wage benefits, and enable them to cope up with the rising prices of basic goods and services.
The DTI encouraged distributors and manufacturers to participate in the caravan and be able to deliver good quality products to consumer and to educate consumers of their rights and responsibilities as consumers.
The caravan is a yearly project by the DTI first established on May 12, 2011 which is made part on United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) in assistance to ‘No Hungry, No poverty’.It is also part of advocacy campaign on consumer well-fare. (REJOY R. TORALBA, SHELLA MAE D. ASTORGA & DHEMA NIÑA O. IGAY, NwSSU Student Interns)

KANANGA, Leyte- Belinda Pitogo, mother of five children of Barangay Rizal, this town, was grateful she would no longer buy some school supplies for her incoming Grades 3 and 4 boys.
Her sentiment was shared by all other parents whose children stand as beneficiaries of an outreach program of a public utility company.
These items, in particular a bag, ten notebooks, and pencils, were distributed on Wednesday(May 23) to their intended recipients under the “Gamit ni Bulilit” corporate social responsibility program of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
“Giving of these school supplies was meant to motivate pupils and parents to continue the schooling of their children,” said Bambie Capulong, NGCP media liaison officer for region 8.
Capulong led the distribution of 500 sets assisted by Arlene Tampus, a kindergarten teacher, in the small, covered stage inside the Rizal Elementary School.
Aside from the giving of materials, children and parents also listened to a short talk on safety measures as the barangay was traversed by NGCP’s high-voltage power lines.
R-G Baldomar, NGCP safety engineer, cautioned the kids on flying kites and playing slngshots near these lines to avoid electrocution,
Parents were also warned on installing TV antennas if their houses are located beneath these lines, as well as in carrying long wooden or bamboo poles, for these may touch the wire, a clear and present danger to their lives, Baldomar added.
(mmp/PIA8-Southern Leyte)

Piña Festival among the highlights

ORMOC CITY- Mayor Richard Gomez said that the second year edition of ‘Piña’ Festival will be bigger and better compare to last year.
This was declared by Gomez during the launching of the festivities held on Wednesday (May 23) at the newly-opened Robinsons Ormoc.
The actor-turned-city mayor said that for this year, the city government has allocated P20 million for the staging of the festival which highlights one of the city’s most known products which is the ‘queen pineapple, ‘said to be one of the sweetest in the world.
“It will be a bigger and better festival compare to last year,” Gomez said during the press launching of the festivities.
The city fiesta, which is held every June 29 in honor of Sts. Peter and Paul, will be made colorful by various activities which will start on June 16 through a ‘Parade of Lights,’ labeled by the organizers as ‘nighttime spectacle’ which will feature luminescent vehicular floats and lighted costumes.
The Piña Festival will be held on June 24, five days before the annual city fiesta.
And for this year, about 20 contingents from different schools and organizations are to participate the festival.
Mayor Gomez said that aside from promoting the city’s pineapples, the holding of the Piña Festival also aim to draw more tourists to Ormoc.
While Gomez could not provide data as to how many tourists attended last year’s Piña Festival, the city mayor said that they got a big crowd that saw the festival.
As they project a bigger crowd this year, the competition will be held at the city’s quadrangle located just in front of the city park.
And aside from the city police, they would also ask for additional men from the regional police headquarters to help secure the people who will witness the festival, Gomez said.
Meantime, Gomez said that visitors have hotels and lodging inns where they could stay during their visit to Ormoc during the week-long activities.
“Although we don’t have the luxury of having the big hotels for now we try to accommodate the visitors with what we have,” Gomez said.
He also said that aside from visiting Ormoc’s tourist spots, visitors could also visit nearby towns like Palompon, known for its white sand Kalangaman Island. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA/JOEY A. GABIETA)

In Eastern Visayas

PALO, Leyte – The recently-held barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections held last May 14 was the region’s ‘most peaceful’ in decades.
This was declared by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Philippine National Police which pulled out its deployed personnel just two days after the conduct of the barangay and youth elections.
“Thank you to the PNP (Philippine National Police) and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines).Their presence was deterrent to people who were planning to disturb the election process,” Comelec Regional Director Jose Nick Mendros said.
“We have not experienced any violent incident and all precincts functioned,” he added.
But the elections in Barangay Diet de Turag in Silvino Lubos, Northern Samar were held a day late due as the members of elections tellers were stopped by a group of individuals while they were on their way to the village on May 14.
Winners in the said village, which has more than 300 voters, were proclaimed Tuesday (May 15) afternoon.
About 2,700 police and soldiers were deployed in almost all areas in the region to ensure that the barangay and SK elections here would turn out to be peaceful and orderly.
Earlier, the PNP and the Comelec had identified 284 barangays in the region as concerned areas or where election-related violence could happen.
On Thursday (May 17), the 990 policemen and women who were given poll duties were pulled out from their respective assignments, a strong indication that the conduct of the balloting was peaceful and orderly.
“This happened because you were on the ground. You were with the people to secure them. As officials, our job is to supervise, give guidance and direction but all the hard work is with you. So we are thankful for the sacrifices and on what you did to ensure that the election is peaceful and secure,” Chief Supt. Gilberto Cruz, police regional director, said.
Cruz added that the presence of police and military also resulted for more voters to cast their votes at their respective polling precincts.
The Comelec projects that the turnout of votes in the region could be more than 85 percent.
During the 2013 barangay elections, several villages in the region experienced failure of balloting with election-related violence recorded at more than 100.

BY: Roel T. Amazona

TACLOBAN CITY- Luck finally smiled to a candidate for chairman here in the city on his third try and to add more drama, via drawing of lots.
Judy Trinidad, a retired policeman, finally became the chairman of Barangay 52 in Magallanes District as he was proclaimed as the winner on Wednesday (May 16) noon by the three-member board of canvassers at San Fernando Central School.
Trinidad and the incumbent chairman, Noel Martinez both garnered the same votes of 328, thus the need to break the tie.
Martinez, the long-time serving chairman of Brgy.52, has defeated Trinidad the past barangay elections.
During the 2013 barangay elections, Martinez won over Trinidad by just a mere seven votes.
“I am really overwhelmed. I cannot contain my emotions that finally I am now the chairman of our barangay,” the 61-year old Trinidad said, holding back his tears.
Martinez tried to control his emotions as he said that he accepted the result of the draw.
“I lost,” he said after opening the folded white paper he picked. “I respect the outcome. No hard feelings,” Martinez said.
The folded paper states “winner” which Trinidad was able to pick.
The drawing of the lots was witnessed by the two contenders’ families and supporters and elections officials led by Comelec Regional Director Jose Nick Mendros.
Both Trinidad and Martinez embraced each other after they drew the lots.
Both called their respective supporters to respect the decision and worked for the betterment of their village.
But while Martinez lost the chairmanship, five of his candidates for council seats won while only two and the Sangguniang Kabataan chair won from the camp of Trinidad.
Trinidad was the last barangay chairman in the city who won the May 14 elections to be proclaimed.
Records from the Barangay Affairs Office disclosed that Tacloban has 57 new barangay chairmen while 81 others won on their re-election bids.
Hermilo Naputo, Jr., head of the said office, said that all the barangay officials who received fresh mandates from their respective constituents are to take their oaths on June 30, coinciding the city’s annual fiesta.
“Mayor (Cristina) Romualdez will administer their oath of office to be held at the astrodome,” he said.
They are to assume their posts on July 1 and to end their terms by 2020.
It was learned from Naputo that a barangay chairman in the city receives a monthly honorarium ranging from over P4,000 up to P21,000.
While the councilors receives from P3,000 up to P15, 000.
A Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairman as well as the treasurer and secretary receives a monthly honorarium equivalent to that of a barangay councilor.
The monthly honorarium of the barangay officials depends on their local income.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

Massive vote-buying marked the brgy, SK polls

CALBAYOG CITY- Vote-buying during election times has become a ‘hallmark’ of sort in the country to the extent that voters no longer mind what candidates would do if they win but rather how much they would shell out just to get elected.
And the recently-concluded barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections was not an exception as massive vote-buying was reported in this city and the rest of Samar province as voters were eager to ensure that they were included in the ‘budget lists’ by the candidates.
‘Baby,’ a voter of an island-town and asked not to be named, said that she recieved P4,000 during the elections from various candidates in their village.
“I vote (d) for barangay and SK so the budget for me was double,” the 21-year old said.
Those who are 18 years old up to 30 years of age casted both for the regular barangay and youth elections.
Baby said that in their town, a voter received a minimum of P2,000 to vote for a punong barangay, at least P1,500 for a SK chairman and a minimum of P100 each for barangay and SK councilor.
According to her, she received P1,000 as an initial ‘payment’ with the remaining P3,000 after she casted her votes.
“Our family no longer believe on their promises because these will not come true and will just remain as promises,” she said reason why they prefer money than listening to the candidates’ plans if they get elected.
In fact, it’s how much that they could receive during elections and not the platforms of the candidates that dominate their conversations, she said.
In 2016, the first time she voted, Baby earned more than P5,000, a big amount for those who have no steady source of income.
“Whoever is the highest bidder I will vote because election is all about money,” she said.
Baby admitted that for the past years even before she voted, her understanding about elections is giving of money.
Another voter, “Sarah” from this city who also declined to give her name, hoped for peace and more development for their village though she was willing to sale her vote.
“I made sure that my name and the other members of our family were included in the list asked by the candidates,” she said.
With the massive vote-buying that marked the conduct of the May 14 elections in the region, amounting as high as P5, 000 per voter, the appeal issued by the Commission on Elections and the Catholic Church obviously fell to deaf ears. (JENNIFER SUMAGANG-ALLEGADO)