PALO, Leyte- With the aim of getting a bigger chunk of the budget pie, the Regional Development Council (RDC) asked national government agencies and state-run schools in Eastern Visayas to start drafting the proposed 2019 budget before the end of the month.
The region’s highest policy-making body aims to complete within the week the orientation of the 2019 budget review process.
“This is an initiative of RDC Eastern Visayas. It’s better to start early for us to have more time to prepare documents, consult, and review all the proposed budget,” said RDC vice chairperson Bonifacio Uy, regional chief of the National Economic Development Authority.
From September 24 to November 8, 2017, government agencies and state universities and colleges are expected to prepare budget proposals, consult with civil society organizations, submit forms, conduct technical review, undergo RDC sectoral committee review, and RDC full council review.
The proposed 2019 outlay is in line with the Regional Development Plan 2017-2022, Result Matrix, and the Regional Development Investment Program (RDIP), Uy said.
The plan and the matrix spell out the priority development directions and targets while the RDIP outlines the priority development programs, projects, and activities of the region in the next six years.
“Early budget review will ensure that proposed budgets will push for fund allocations for investment that support regional development priorities along human, economic and infrastructure development, including that of the post-disaster rehabilitation and recovery needs,” Uy explained.
Department of Trade and Industry Regional Director Cynthia Nierras, chair of the RDC economic development committee, said early budget review will help address the problem of a long and difficult process of procurement.
“Through early budget preparation, we are influencing the head offices to come up with proposed project items early for prioritization by the Department of Budget and Management,” she said.
The budget review and consultation will cover 47 departments and other attached agencies and 10 state universities and colleges based in the region’s six provinces.
Eastern Visayas region needs at least P430 billion for priority activities under the draft 2017-2022 RDIP.
The funding initially listed by officials from government and private sector is up for approval by the RDC in its third quarter meeting on September 28.
Eastern Visayas or Region 8 is the third poorest among 18 regions in the country. As of 2015, the region’s poverty incidence among families is pegged at 30.7 percent, which means that three out of every 10 families in the region are poor.
However, in 2016, its gross regional domestic product grew by 12.4 percent, the fastest growing region in the country, offsetting economic losses incurred from super typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
(SARWELL Q.MENIANO with reports from REYNADEL F. COSTILLAS/PNA)

For the last 6 years

TACLOBAN CITY- More than 1,000 volunteers joined the recently-held Oplan Broadcastreeing project held at Barangay 100, a northern village of this city.
DILG-8 Regional Director Marivel Sacendoncillo told reporters in an interview that the tree planting activity led by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) together with the Department of Interior and Local Government(DILG)
and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), is getting stronger, now on its sixth year of implementation.
“The tree planting activity was a success, however, let us urge everyone to likewise care for tree growing aside from tree planting,” Sacendoncillo said.
Arturo Salazar, DENR assistant regional director for management services, said that the activity was able to plant 1,890 fruit trees in a 3.5 hectare hilly area identified by DENR as planting site under the expanded National Greening Program (eNGP).
Records from the DENR, DILG, and KBP show that since 2011, Oplan Broadcastreeing has already planted at least 33,000 trees throughout the region.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

Only to know if they travel abroad

TACLOBAN CITY- Scholars of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) need not worry if their names appear on the list of the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The inclusion of their names is only to know if they travel abroad, Edgardo Esperancilla, DOST regional director, said in a press conference.
According to Esperancilla, the names of the scholars which appear on the NBI or BID database will automatically be lifted if they will inform their office and after asking for a clearance or permit to travel abroad.
“This is only for monitoring(purposes).If they want to travel outside the country, they only need to seek clearance or permit from us and the reason why they will be going out of the country like if they are given travel order from their office to attend work-related activities abroad,” the DOST official said on Tuesday(Sept.19).
He clarified that all the names of the DOST scholars appear at the list of NBI or BID after they sign a contract with them.
The clearance given by the DOST will be presented by the scholars to the BID to allow them to leave the country.
A guarantee of undertaking will also be signed by the employer of the DOST scholars stating that they return to the country.
Esperancilla also said that under the contract signed by the scholars, they are mandated to provide service to the country after they finished their studies.
“If their course is four years, they will give back their service to the country in four years. It will depend on their course. After rendering their service to the government, their names will be taken out from the list,” he explained.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

VILLABA, Leyte – The regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA-8) has extended assistance to the farmers here who survived the onslaught of super typhoon ‘Yolanda.’
DA-8 Regional Executive Director, U-Nichols Manalo told Leyte Samar Daily Express that the turnover of the assistance worth P15.77 million funded by the Yolanda Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program (YRRP) was made during the launching of the YRRP livelihood initiated by DA-8 in coordination with the local government unit of this town.
Director Manalo said that the project has provided the farmer-beneficiaries of this town with agricultural assistance composed of modern farm machineries, equipment, tools, and inputs like seeds and fertilizers including farm animals for the five Associations of the town which includes Sta. Cruz Rice Upland Farmers Association, Tabunok Integrated Farmers Association, Hinundayan Farmers Association, Malayahay Vegetables and Rootcrops Farmers Association and Barangay Jalas Farmers Association with a total membership of 199 farmers.
Villaba Mayor Juliet Larrazabal said that the assistance would be of great help for the recovery of the farmers in her town who are still reeling and recovering from the devastation brought about by Yolanda and for building back better of their livelihood.
Mayor Larrazabal claims that the assistance will further help her administration to convince more farmers in the town to adhere to the modern and scientific farming and livestock production.
Larrazabal added that the assistance will also help boost the farm productivity in her town and eventually more income of the farmers.
Villaba with a land area of 150.31 square kilometers and 35 barangays is a 3rd class municipality and has a population of 41,891 according to the 2015 census.
(RESTITUTO A.CAYUBIT)

The Philippines’ leading airline, Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB), has implemented the 20% discount, on top of the exemption from the 12% Value-Added Tax (VAT), on airfare for Senior Citizens and Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) across all its booking systems. That means that bookings of Cebu Pacific flights by eligible Senior Citizens and PWDs, whether done via ticket office, online via the CEB website, or through the CEB mobile app, now reflect the applicable discounts on the base fare for flights within the Philippines.
The 20% airfare discount and 12% VAT can be availed by all Filipino Senior Citizens and PWDs. For bookings made through the website or mobile app, the passengers need to input their details, including their date of birth or the number stated on their identification cards (Senior Citizen Card or PWD card). The total amount discounted can be found both on the ‘booking summary’ portion of the website, as well as the ‘fare breakdown’ or ‘payment details’ portion of the itinerary receipt.
The discount extended to Senior Citizens and PWDs only covers airfare, and does not cover ancillary services such as food, baggage allowance and seat selection.
Upon check-in, passengers who availed of the discount are required to present their Senior Citizen ID issued by the Office of Senior Citizen Affairs (OSCA); or PWD ID issued by the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA). In lieu of these, they may show other valid government-issued IDs that reflect their nationality and birthdate such as Passport, Driver’s License, Voter’s ID, SSS/GSIS ID, PRC Card, Postal ID, PWD ID issued by the Office of Persons with Disability Affairs (PDAO) or the City/Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO/MSWDO) of the place where the PWD resides, or their Transportation Discount Fare Identification Card issued by the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP).
“Through this system upgrade, we hope to be able to better serve the travelling public and make it easier for our Senior Citizens and PWDs to avail of the discounts. We also recognize the efforts of the House Committee on Transportation, the Department of Transportation and the Civil Aeronautics Board in drafting these guidelines that would govern the granting of discounts for senior citizens and PWDs on online transactions as these have been seen growing exponentially over the past years,” said Atty. JR Mantaring, Vice President for Corporate Affairs of Cebu Pacific.
CEB flies to 37 domestic destinations, with over 80 routes—the most extensive among Philippine carriers. Its 60-strong fleet is comprised of two Airbus A319, 36 Airbus A320, eight Airbus A330, eight ATR 72-500, and six ATR 72-600 aircraft. Between 2017 and 2022, CEB expects delivery of 7 Airbus A321ceo, 32 Airbus A321neo, and 10 ATR 72-600 aircraft.

TACLOBAN CITY- Serious on its pursuit to eliminate drug trade and drug use in the city, the administration of Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez staged an anti-drug summit Thursday (September 21).
The summit, held at the Tacloban City Convention Center dubbed as “New Beginnings for Change”, started with a parade across the main streets of the city.
The participants were divided into three: the red team converged at Magsaysay Blvd. Kanhuraw side (downtown section of the city and city hall employees); the white team from Robinsons’ Place (San Jose and Marasbaras areas) and the blue team from the junction of Angelicum School, or those coming from the northern barangays of the city and proceeded to the venue for the program proper.
Carrying the theme: “Pagkaurusa para ha Pagbag-o Kontra Illegal sa Droga, Kriminalidad, Korapsyon ngan Terorismo”, the New Beginnings for Change is an inter-agency program participated by city employees and officials led by Mayor Romualdez, barangay officials and their respective constituents, students, and various organizations in the city.
Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial was the guest speaker who lauded the city government for coming up a program to help drug dependents recover from substance abuse.
During the summit, the Masa Masid app was launched to help address criminalities in the city.
The New Beginnings for Change Program of Tacloban is a holistic approach in dealing with the drug menace in the city.
As of August 2017, 4,402 drug users voluntarily surrendered, 31 barangays were declared as drug- cleared barangays, while 62 barangays were being endorsed to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for drug-clearing.
(GAY B. GASPAY, TISAT/KANHURAW MEDIA TEAM)