TACLOBAN CITY—The provincial government of Leyte and the city government of Tacloban remain on speaking terms despite the legal battles over the management and control of the Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD), according to Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla.
“As far as the mayor is concerned, we see each other from time to time. We talk. What is important is the action after talking,” said Petilla.
The governor further assured that their camp will not resort to any violent action to resolve the deadlock between his appointed LMWD board of directors and the new appointees of Mayor Cristina Romualdez who assumed office in January this year.
“We have a strong economy, and we don’t want to be distracted by this,” Petilla said in an interview.
“We will respect the law because the law is the only thing that protects us from chaos. We have to sustain. Being the chief executive of Leyte, I should set an example to my constituents that we should follow the law, otherwise the people will not also follow and we’ll have chaos,” said Petilla, adding that he is leaving the issue to the courts.
After the management row between the province and the city ensued, concessionaires are also faced with a dilemma on where they are going to pay their water bills as there are now two “main” offices of LMWD: the old one in Nula-Tula, Tacloban where Romualdez-backed officials are holding office and the newly-opened “main” office at Leyte Academic Center in the neighboring town of Palo managed by Petilla-backed officials.
However, Petilla said that any collections made by the agency’s office in Palo will go to its account.
“Nonetheless, if ano man yan, kung ang tao nag bayad here or the other side, it should go to LMWD, and that the people should not be charged twice. It’s unfair (to the people). Problema ito ng LMWD,” added Petilla while saying that they will work on the collection problem after the water management issue will be resolved.
“I believe that every problem has a solution. But we have to work on that solution,” he said.
Bernardita Valenzuela, a city-appointed board of director, maintained the legitimacy of their posts, citing the recent SC’s decision in Rama v. Moises case (G.R. No. 197146) and in accordance with LWUA’s mandate under Letter of Instructions 744 issued on September 28, 1978 as the “test case” of their appointments.
“How can an inferior court go against the decision of the Supreme Court?” asked Valenzuela.
Meantime, the city-backed LMWD officials continue to assure of the water services in the resettlement areas in the northern barangays of Tacloban along with the rest of the municipalities covered by the water district.
(RONALD O. REYES)

MAASIN CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) field office here closed a major road section in Southern Leyte since Tuesday (April 17) to speed up clearing operations of the road section affected by a major landslide.
“We will impose full closure in the national road stretch in Pancho Villa in Sogod to all types of vehicles during working hours to ensure faster removal of huge quantity of landslide debris,” DPWH-Southern Leyte chief Ma. Margarita Junia said.
Recently, a major landslide occurred in the area following series of progressive minor landslides, damaging several households and the road section.
Junia noted that despite the department’s road closure announcement on March 14, some motorcycles and light vehicles still pass through the dangerous part of the national highway.
The 200-meter road section, which is just six kilometers away from Agas-Agas Bridge, the country’s tallest, is a vital part of the long highway that links islands of Visayas and Mindanao.
“There is a progressive landslide in the area that might put the travelers’ life in danger so we call upon their attention to please use the alternative routes for now to ensure that their safety will not be compromised,” Junia said.
Alternative routes for motorists bound for Benit Port in Southern Leyte are advised to take Tacloban – Mahaplag – Baybay – Bato – Bontoc – Sogod – Daang Maharlika – Liloan – San Ricardo road route and Abuyog-Silago road.
DPWH Regional Director Edgar Tabacon conducted and aerial survey last week in the landslide-hit area to check the status of the slope along the stretch highway.
“Director Tabacon already lent us heavy equipment such as bulldozers, dump truck, and backhoe which we are now using in our removal of landslide materials there. And we also wrote a letter to Undersecretary Renato Solidum to request their assistance in identifying further data about the status of the area,” Junia ended.
Heavy downpour triggered soil erosions and landslides since March 14. The 200-meter stretch of the road will remain impassable to all types of vehicles until further notice. (PR)

BORONGAN CITY- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Eastern Samar District Engineering Office (ESDEO) is to implement 44 calamity resilient school buildings amounting to P 445.251 million under the Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEFF) Batch 1 for the year 2018, to address the need of Department of Education for more classrooms and to anchor the rights of every individual to education.
DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones wrote a letter on March 15, 2018 to the Secretary of Department of Budget and Management Benjamin E. Diokno for the release of Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) in favor to DPWH with an amount of P 44.114 billion.
The total amount requested will cover the construction of elementary and secondary classrooms in Region VIII and P445.251 million will be assigned to DPWH Eastern Samar.
District Engineer Manolo A. Rojas of Eastern Samar DEO disclosed in a statement through his public information officer Jayson Espeso that their office guarantees that the construction will meet the standards set by the DepEd and DPWH to ensure that the quality of the structure can withstand strong winds, typhoons and other calamities may occur.
“The building design complies with the National Structural Code of the Philippines which takes into the consideration various model codes or regulation for typhoon and earthquake resiliency to ensure safety and structural integrity,” DE Rojas added.
Out of 44 school buildings that are to be constructed, 31 are for high school and 13 are for elementary.
Allocation for each project varies according to the scope of work stated in the program of work (POW) prepared by DPWH-ESDEO and duly concurred by DepEd.
The high school buildings that are to be constructed are: six in Borongan City, five in Arteche, three in Llorente, two in Salcedo and one each for the municipality of Gen. Mac-Arthur, Dolores, Giporlos, Guiuan, Jipapad, Lawaan, Maslog, Merceds, Oras, San Policarpo, Sulat, Taft, Can-avid, San Julian and Balangiga.
For elementary school, three in Oras, two in Arteche, two in Jipapad and one each for the municipality of Lawaan, Giporlos, Quinapondan, Mercedes, Salcedo and San Policarpo.
The said project would provide additional facilities to aid innovative teaching and learning methods. This would also address the existing problem on classroom shortage and overcrowding that hinder conducive learning for students.
Presently, the projects are in the procurement mode, wherein project cost are assessed if it is responsive.
(JAYSON G. ESPESO, Engineer II/PIO-Designate)

BAYBAY CITY- “This is my advocacy – to touch the lives of the poor people. I know that you want to hear what the government could give you,” Secretary Emmanuel ‘Manny’ F. Piñol exhorted during the Dialogue with Agri-Fishery Stakeholders of Leyte District 5 in one of his Biyaheng Bukid sorties in Eastern Visayas on April 11, 2018.
Around 1,000 farmers, fisherfolk and other stakeholders from the towns of Abuyog, Bato, Hindang, Hilongos, Inopacan, Javier, Mahaplag and Matalom and from this city trooped to Baybay City Gymnasium to share their issues and concerns relative to agri-fishery production in the countryside.
The Secretary immediately responded to the queries and approved some requests, subject for validation by the concerned agencies.
The activity was also highlighted with the turnover of agricultural interventions to the municipalities of Leyte District 5, amounting to P46 million which vary from inputs such as seeds, planting materials, fertilizers; drugs and biologics; farm equipment, machinery and diversion dam, among others.
Program interventions worth P5.7 million were also committed for the different municipalities.
In addition, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-8, Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority and Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation, handed-over fiber glass boats, abaca planting materials, and indemnity checks.
Also present in the said event were Rep. Jose Carlos L. Cari; Baybay City Mayor Carmen L. Cari; Mayor Leonardo M. Javier, Jr. of Javier; Mayor Albert R. Villahermosa of Hilongos; Board Member Emmanuel Gacis who represented Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico L. Petilla; Regional Executive Director Cipriano G. Santiago of DA RFO 8 and other heads or representatives of DA attached agencies. (PR)

CARIGARA, Leyte- Mayor Eduardo Ong of this town dismissed claim that he had ordered to bar survivors of super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ from attending a recent gathering which tackled issues concerning on the rehabilitation relative to the deadly typhoon that hit the region in 2013.
The town served as a host on a consultation on Yolanda-related rehabilitation effort on April 11 which was attended by Usec. Wendell Avisado, the presidential advisor on special concerns and oversight office on Yolanda rehabilitation.
According to Ong, their only concern at the same event was only to provide the venue of the gathering initiated by the regional office of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
The Yolanda survivors have wanted to attend the gathering, held at the municipal hall, to personally relay to Avisado issues affecting them like on the housing project and livelihood assistance.
Ong said that the housing concern of the survivors is better addressed to the National Housing Authority as they claimed that they have yet to be given documents showing proof of ownership and they have to destroy their current houses, located in unsafe areas, once they transferred to the resettlement sites.
As to providing livelihood assistance to them, the issue is better addressed to the Departments of Trade and Industry and the Social Welfare and Development.
Avisado, after the meeting, went outside the venue to meet the Yolanda survivors as he assured them that the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte will continue to help them like providing them housing units, among others.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

CALBAYOG CITY- The regional office of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has identified 28 barangays in the city that are prone to landslide incidents.
Most of these barangays are located in the coastal areas where most of the quarrying operations are located.
In December last year, two successive landslide or rock falls happened in the coastal villages of Malayog and Cagnipa, both hosts to a quarry operation.
Reports from the Department of Public Works and Highways said that boulders as big as a house cascaded down from the mountain after an incessant rains hit the city.
Ras said that he would recommend to stop the quarry activities in areas identified by MGB as landslide prone but it is not easy.
No revenue
But despite of the danger quarry operations poses, villagers of Amampacang, among other areas in Calbayog, continue.
In fact, quarry operations have been going on uninterrupted in the said village since 1980’s.
Añano said that aside from having no permit to operate of the contractor, quarrying in the village is not allowed as it is located along a national highway.
“The law does not allow quarrying along the highway, if there will be any it should be one kilometer from the main road,” Añano said.
“Amampacang is along the highway so it is not qualified,” he further stressed.
According to Añano, mountain quarrying along the national highway is not allowed for the danger it will bring to the motorists.
But the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRO) has a contrasting observation on this saying they recommends quarrying along the highway.
Rolando Saplad, Jr. of the CDRRMO, said that quarrying along a national highway is ‘helpful’ to prevent landslide for it will push the mountain away from the highway.
But apparently, Amampacang village chief, Crizelda Flor, has other concern with regards to the quarry operation going on at their village.
Aside from the destruction it causes which includes landslide incidents, quarry operation in their village does not provide them any revenue, Flor said.
“Our barangay never received even a penny as revenue of quarry operation,” she said.
Flor added that when they inquired with the Calbayog city government on how they can get the quarry revenue, they were just informed that it was under the jurisdiction of the provincial government.
An officer of the city’s treasurer department likewise disclosed that the city also never received a revenue from quarry operation ever since it started.
Flor said that they don’t have any idea where they could get the revenue their village should earn.
“They destroy the resources of our barangay but sad to say, we do not receive anything from said activity and we do not know what we should do,” the village official said.