Lone boxer from region to win gold

TACLOBAN CITY- A student-scholar from the Leyte Sports Academy (LSA), based in this city, and a promising boxer, has won a gold medal in the recently concluded Palarong Pambansa 2018 in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur and contributed to the gold medal harvest of the academy that saved the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) from landing last among the country’s regional delegations.
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla told Leyte Samar Daily Express that LSA scholar Caasi Salvador, 16, was one of the ten boxer-athletes of the EVRAA delegation which participated in the recently-concluded Palarong Pambansa.
Salvador, who is from Naval, Biliran, fought against Eduardo Jimenez from Central Visayas under light flyweight category of 46-48.kg. and turned out to be the 2018 Palarong Pambansa light flyweight category boxing champion.
He was the only EVRAA boxer who won a medal in the Palaro.
The other boxers from the EVRAA were from Leyte division (2); Ormoc City division (6), and one from Calbayog City division.
Petilla said that Salvador is a promising boxer and may become one of the best boxers in the future reason why the LSA is giving him more training to harness further his boxing potentials.
With 9 gold, 10 silver, and 9 bronze medals harvested by the regional athletes, Eastern Visayas ranked 12 in this year’s Palarong Pambansa.
And out of the EVRAA medals won, LSA athletes won the 8 gold, 5 silver and 6 bronze medals. If not with the gold medals from LSA, EVRAA would have landed in the 17th place which is the lowest rank. (RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

Sign of improving economies

TACLOBAN CITY – The provincial government of Leyte recognized the treasurers across the province for their efforts on increasing their tax collections.
The awarding, held at the Leyte SMED-Center, this city, was graced by Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla and Department of Interior and Local Government Regional Director Maribel Sacendoncillo.
Leading the 40 municipalities in local tax collection was the town of Kananga with P82.23 million collection.
Joining Kananga as top collectors on locally sourced revenues were the municipalities of Palompon, P58.55 million; Isabel, P33.34 million; Palo, 33.01 million; and Abuyog, P30.10 million.
Meanwhile for local government units with highest efficiency collection in all locally source revenues, Albuera got the highest rating at 80.97 percent increase or a collection of P24.94 million from its previous collection of P13.78 million.
Albuera municipal treasurer Elvira Perez said that their close monitoring on revenue collection was the main reason why they were able to surpass their last year’s collection.
Perez added that they also religiously sent notices to their delinquent tax payers and have an efficient collection on sand and gravel operations.
Other towns with highest efficiency on local tax collection were the following: Tabango with 37.02 percent increase or P6.63 million for this year compare to last year’s P4.84 million; Palo with 37.60 percent increase or collection of P33 million from P23.99 million in 2017; Inopacan with 38.26 percent increase or P11.6 million from P8.39 million; Calubian with 39.61 percent increase or a collection of P6.40 million from the 2017 collection of P4.58 million.
Gov. Petilla said that the recognition given to the treasurers in the province is a manifestation that the conditions of their areas are improving due to robust business activities.
“The increase of collection in the municipalities shows how our economy is moving because there are businesses going. This is also a proof that our economy is getting stronger,” Petilla said.
“As our economy grows, more investment are coming, the value of our properties changes. You need to step up so that we can generate more local income,” he added.
Sacendoncillo, meantime, reminded the treasurers to always do the right thing and should not allow the mayors to make decision on their behalf.
“Make the right decision because at the end of the day, you are accountable for the decision you made. You work for more than half of your life in the government but because of a wrong decision, you are dismissed from service. Everything you have work for are taken away from you for a simple and single mistake,” she said.
“I know it is difficult to deal with politicians but be guided by the principles that you are accountable for you own actions and decisions so do what is right and you will continue to be safe,” Sacendoncillo added.
The DILG official added that municipal treasurers should start expanding the horizon of their responsibilities by looking at their work not just as a job but as part of a mission.
“As part of the government, we are given opportunities to do great things not for us but for the future,” Sacendoncillo ended.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY — The Philippine National Police (PNP) regional office here will acquire a new patrol boat to conduct seaborne operations against illegal fishers and cocaine-carrying vessels in Eastern Samar areas facing the Pacific Ocean.
This is the first time that the PNP Maritime Group will have a high-speed patrol sea craft capable to fight illegal activities in Eastern Samar, PNP Eastern Visayas Regional Director Chief Supt. Gilberto Cruz told reporters on Wednesday.
Cruz pushed for the acquisition of the patrol boat because the maritime police in the region did not have floating assets, and have to rent motor boats when called to conduct seaborne operations.
The fiberglass boat dubbed “Pintados” will have its maiden voyage on June 5 in time for the World Environment Day. The boat with turbo engine can carry up to 50 law enforcers.
The official believes that foreign sea vessels carrying cocaine could pass the Eastern Samar portion of the Pacific Ocean as there are no seaborne operations in the area.
The Pacific Seas in Guiuan, Eastern Samar used to be the drop off point of smuggled products such as motorcycles and appliances since there are no sea patrol operations in the area, according to PNP.
“Cocaine traders found Eastern Samar as a safe route from Latin America to Hong Kong and mainland China,” Cruz said.
Over the past year, several cocaine bricks have been found in Eastern Samar. The biggest volume was in 2010 when authorities recovered nearly 300 bricks with an estimated value of P1.4 billion.
Some plastic blue drums with packs of cocaine inside were recovered by fishermen in Sorsogon and Quezon provinces this year.
“These cocaine are not intended for Philippines since we are not cocaine-using country,” Cruz added.
Meanwhile, the PNP’s floating assets will also run after illegal fishers in Eastern Samar. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) confirmed the destructive tuna catching in Eastern Samar’s Pacific Ocean High Seas
The use of unlawful fish aggregating devices contributes to indiscriminate fishing of tuna, including juveniles. There are also some big-time tuna catchers believed from General Santos City gaining access to the region’s high seas due to dwindling catch in the south. (PNA)

TACLOBAN CITY- Leyte first district Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez met with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Wednesday (May 16) to discuss her priority healthcare initiatives in both public and private hospitals under her district and in the region.
Romualdez was instrumental in the pilot implementation of the Service Delivery Network (SDN), a public-private partnership “where health providers and its facilities within the province or a city-wide health system will offer core packages of health care services created in an integrated and coordinated manner”.
The DOH and the city government of Tacloban signed an SDN memorandum of agreement on March 17, 2017 that have so far benefited over 3,000 patients.
During their meeting, Romualdez also asked Duque’s support for the immediate passage of House Bill 7401, which seeks to increase the bed capacity of the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center from 500 to 1,500.
The enactment of this law will reduce the hospital bed to population ratio in the region from about 1:1,500 to approximately 1:1,000.
“The increase in bed capacity is aimed at bridging the current gap between hospital beds in the region, to improve the quality of healthcare and ensure the successful realization of the Philippine Health Agenda,” Romualdez said.
The said bill will also pave the way for the upgrading of its services, facilities, and professional health care; increasing the number of medical personnel; and the changing of its name to Eastern Visayas Medical Center “to reflect the coming changes”.
“By strengthening the capability and expanding the capacity of EVRMC, we are able to provide a more durable solution towards the improvement the healthcare service in the region. The end goal remains, however, for Tingog Sinirangan to push for free universal healthcare, so that ordinary Filipinos can rightly avail of free quality healthcare services without having to worry about the financial costs that come with it,”Jude Acidre, staff of Romualdez said.
Acidre was present in the meeting between Romualdez and Duque.
Also joining Romualdez and Duque during the meeting were DOH Assistant Regional Director Paula Paz Sydiongco, Remedios Trinidad Romualdez (RTR) Hospital Administrator Atty. Cheryl Lopez-Chu, Tacloban City Hospital Chief Jodina Gumagay, and SDN program coordinator Nicolas Herman.
(RONALD O. REYES)

ORMOC CITY—It was a day of jubilation and relief for nine agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) after confronting 20 long years of struggle to finally till the land awarded to them by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
This came after the DAR has finally succeeded in installing them to three landholdings previously owned by Rustico Capahi.
“Nalipay lang ko nga makabalik ko sa akong gitrabaho nga yuta.” (I’m just happy to be back to the lot I was tilling.)
These were the words uttered by 66-year old farmer Clemente Arnaiz, as he broke into tears when the writ of execution was read to them by Sheriff Joseph Catingub on April 24.
The writ of execution issued by Leyte Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Renato Badilla is a legal document that ordered the installation of the nine ARBs to the landholdings that were awarded to them under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
DAR Regional Director Sheila Enciso said Arnaiz, together with the eight other ARBs received their certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) two decades ago but were deprived of entry by the previous landowner. Enciso said they were farmworkers in said landholdings.
“Through the years, we have made several attempts to install them but failed because of the persistent resistance of the landowner to follow the CARP,” said Enciso.
On April 24, with the support of KAISAHAN, a non-government organization assisting the farmers, the 20 years of waiting ended when the nine ARBs were finally installed peacefully into their awarded lots.
Enciso, assisted by Badilla, led the physical installation of the ARBs to the three Capahi-landholdings situated in Barangay Sabang Bao in this city following an agreement reached between the DAR management and the previous landowner.
According to Enciso, the landowner asked the DAR management to allow them to choose their retention area as stated under the law, among others.
Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Perpetua Sabaldan, who took charge of the installation activities, disclosed that another 26 actual tillers in the three landholdings, with an aggregate area of 16 hectares, were likewise identified as potential beneficiaries.
Sabaldan likewise disclosed that in September last year, 39 other ARBs were also installed into eight landholdings situated in Barangay Balion with a combined area of 36.8 hectares. The properties were also owned by the Capahis.
This season, Enciso told the farmers, “You can already start tilling your respective areas,” but reminded them not to forget their obligations to pay the tax as the owners now of the land. (JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA, Information Officer)

CARIGARA, Leyte-The Department of Public Works and Highways-Leyte Second District Engineering Office implemented a total of P271.68 million flood control structure projects in different towns under the engineering district.
Among the eight flood control projects, six are ongoing.
These are the Binahaan River in Barangay Tingib, Pastrana, worth P47.8 million; Sito Bariis, Brgy. East and West Visoria, Carigara worth P48 million; Baliri River, Brgy. Salvacion, MacArthur worth P36.3 million; Malirong River, Brgy. Tingib and Arabunog, Pastrana worth P35.8 million; Himanglos River, Poblacion I-II, Barugo worth P37.9 million; and the seawall/breakwater of Poblacion Zone I, Capoocan worth P8.2 million.
In addition, the construction of seawalls/breakwaters that will run along Balud Seawall, Capoocan worth P6.7 million; and Brgy. San Jose-Brgy. San Rafael, Dulag worth P50.8 million are up for realization this year.
According to District Engineer Carlos Veloso, these flood control projects will provide high-rise protection to the residents against storm surge and coastal flooding.
Veloso added that it is always the top priority of the department to protect and ensure safety of the people and of the community, especially those that are greatly affected by flooding during typhoon.
Moreover, the district assures the public that the projects will be completed according to the quality standards set by the department.
(AHLETTE C. REYES)