ORMOC CITY- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar assures the public during his visit here on Wednesday (March 14) that the rehabilitation of the Ormoc Airport Terminal Building will be completed this year.
According to DPWH Leyte Fourth District Engineer Lino Francisco C. Gonzalez, the first phase of the rehabilitation is now more than 30% complete.
As such, the Leyte Fourth District Engineering Office (DEO) is positive that the overall improvement of the building will be finished within the year.
The building was built exactly eight years ago but was severely damaged by super typhoon ‘Yolanda in 2013’. Since then, it has been unusable and has not undergone repair.
The facility suffered major damages when Ormoc was hit by a 6.5 magnitude earthquake July of last year.
But Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade, upon seeing the dilapidated building, announced its repair through the collaboration of DOTr and DPWH.
Currently, the first phase of the rehabilitation amounting to P31 million is exactly 32.49% complete, while three more projects amounting to a total of P65 million, are set for the extended rehabilitation this year.
This will cover overall improvement of the said building, including high-quality facilities and amenities, as well as site development.
Once completed, the Ormoc City Airport will significantly improve the transportation, tourism, and economic development of the city as well as nearby municipalities. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY- City Mayor Cristina Romualdez gave her homage to women, describing her as heroes and plays a crucial role towards the city’s development.
In her speech during the Women’s Month Congress held on Tuesday (March 20), the city mayor said that there is really no denial how important the roles being played by our women, both at their respective homes and in the city, in particular.
“To me, they are their family’s heroes, rearing children 24/7.As a mother and housewife, they pour out their love and compassion without expecting anything in return,” Romualdez, who is strong advocate on issues related to women.
As a strong advocate on women, Mayor Romualdez has shown how she extended her role to reach out to women by establishing the only women shelter in the region.
The shelter house is just at the foot of the Kanhuraw Hill where the City Hall is located.
Mayor Romualdez likewise encouraged the creation of women’s organizations to illustrate the role of women towards progress.
In an interview, Rebecca Ada, who chairs the Tacloban City Council of Women Ada, said that the council came into existence after President Rodrigo Duterte issued an executive order for all local government units to create a women’s council that would help women.
According to Ada, presently the council is composed of 19 women organizations from various sectors of the city.
This year’s women’s month celebration carry a theme “We make change, work for women.”
(GAY B. GASPAY-TISAT/KANHURAW MEDIA TEAM)

By Sarwell q. Meniano/pna

PALO, Leyte-The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has warned of a possible strong earthquake in central Leyte as the Philippine Fault in the province never had significant shaking in more than 100 years.
Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum told reporters on Wednesday that a 100-meter portion of the Philippine Fault system stretching from Albuera to Mahaplag towns in Leyte is ripe enough for a strong earthquake.
“If the fault line in the central part of Leyte would move at magnitude 7.2, consequently, an Intensity 8 earthquake may affect many populated areas of Leyte,” Solidum said.
The recent shaking of a connected fault line segment, such as the July 6, 2017 earthquake that struck Kananga, Leyte and Ormoc City, may trigger movements of the Philippine Fault, the Phivolcs official said.
“There are movements but very weak since 1900 until the present. We don’t know when the major earthquake will happen, but people have to be aware,” Solidum told reporters.
The Phivolcs chief asked local government units (LGUs) to relocate houses within fault lines to prevent loss of lives and serious damage to properties.
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla said LGUs, especially those near the fault line, have been preparing for the possible earthquake.
“Apart from implementing the updated National Building Code, we will also come up with a local building code to ensure that concrete buildings are safe from earthquakes,” Petilla added.
The Leyte Island fault line is part of the 1,200-km.-long Philippine fault zone, a major tectonic feature that transects the whole Philippine archipelago from northwestern Luzon to southeastern Mindanao.
This arc-parallel and left-lateral strike slip fault is divided into several segments and has been the source of large-magnitude earthquakes in recent years, such as the 1973 Ragay Gulf earthquake (magnitude 7), 1990 Luzon earthquake (magnitude 7.7), and 2003 Masbate earthquake (magnitude 6.2).
The high seismic risk posed by this fault zone requires a large-scale active faults map, a fundamental data set for seismic hazard mitigation.
“The record of Palo seismic station is very important for the monitoring of movements of the Philippine Fault and Philippine Trench. Our present location is very ideal for seismic station since we are on top of bedrock,” Solidum said.
The seismic station was established in Arado village back in the 1970s by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration when geotectonic phenomena monitoring was still under the weather bureau’s watch.

CATBALOGAN CITY – The Steve Harvey moment has caught in this year’s Sinulog Festival, at least on the rightful winner on the best in festival costume category.
The correct winner for the category was from this city, Mary Faith Tan- Voz Libres, who during the awarding ceremony in Cebu City on January 19, was declared only as the first runner-up.
The candidate of Daanbantayan, Cebu, Isabel Luche, was declared as the winner in the category.
But the mistake was corrected by the organizers of the Sinulog Festival after it was declared as the winners were about to get their prizes.
It turned out that the candidate from this city was the rightful winner in the said category and not the candidate of the Daanbantayan whose costume was made of miniature huts, rice paddies similar to the Banaue Rice Terraces.
In a press statement released by the Sinulog Foundation Incorporated, the organization explained what transpired during the Festival Queen Competition that eventually resulted to the wrong announcement of winners in the best in festival costume.
“With respect to the contestants’ costumes, there were two categories involved namely best in Sinulog Festival costume and best in costume design. The tabulation result shows that the Municipality of Daanbantayan, Cebu won the best in costume design category while the city of Catbalogan, Samar won the best in Sinulog Festival costume category,” the statement said.
“However, human error coupled by stringent verification procedures caused a misappreciation of the two separate categories. As a result thereof, the information announced was that Daanbatayan won the Best in Sinulog Festival Costume,” the statement added.
The statement also said that the foundation is also reviewing existing procedures and protocols to ensure that the incident will never happen.
And on Monday (March 12), more than two months after the staging of the contest, the organizers of the Sinulog Festival headed by its program director, Jess Anthony de la Cruz, personally went to this city to give the award to Libres and was witnessed by Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan.
Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan warmly welcomed the gesture of the foundation to correct the mistake and eliminate all doubts regarding the said competition.
The city further assured the support of Catbalogan City through Tribu Katbalaugan in future competitions which they had been participating for four years now.
Officials of the city however said that they will be taking a hiatus in the Sinulog Festival next year in “order to reflect, rediscover and perhaps to rebrand Tribu Katbalaugan — Catbalogan’s official festival contingent.”
To recall, during the staging of the Miss Universe 2015, American television host Steve Harvey wrongfully declared the candidate from Columbia, Ariadna Gutierrez, as that year’s winner only to correct himself minutes later that the real winner was the Philippines’ Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY- One of the country’s leading transport providers, Grab, is soon to launch its operations in this city with destinations across Eastern Visayas.
This was disclosed by Grab officials in a press conference on Thursday saying they are ‘excited’ in coming to the city, the regional capital of the region.
Initially, about 100 privately-owned cars and 50 units of existing taxi based in this city have been identified by Grab as their possible operators.
Leo Gonzales, spokesperson of Grab Philippines’ public affairs unit, said that they have conducted a feasibility study since last year before they decided to come to Tacloban to operate.
“We go around Tacloban City which is the regional hub of Eastern Visayas. The daytime population of the city is close to one million; everybody travel in and out of the city. We’re excited to come here,” he said.
With their operations, Tacloban City will be the ninth area in the country where Grab operates.
At present, it operates in Metro Manila, Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro City, Baguio, Davao City, and Pampanga.
Gonzales said that they will first conduct a three-week dry run in the city before going to full operations.
He said that they have decided to have the existing taxi units and privately-owned cars in the city as their partners and not to bring their own units to help further congestion of traffic.
Tacloban City is suffering from a worsening traffic situation due to the increased number of vehicles, both public and privately-owned, plying its major streets.
Mel Lloron, spokesperson of the regional Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), said that the coming of Grab to the city would be of big help not only to the commuters but even on their campaign on modernization of public vehicles.
This is because only vehicles of around three years are to be allowed to become Grab partners, he said.
“The presence of Grab in the region is really a good thing for the transportation industry. I hope the operators will help (our) modernization program,” Lloron said.
He also said that the operation will also help address concern on drivers who ask exorbitant fare among its passengers.
As to how much will be the Grab fare is still to be discussed by the LTFRB and Grab management. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA-8) joined in the observance of the International Women’s Day 2018 last March 8, 2018.
As part of the celebration women clienteles were given roses with inspirational quotes to honor and express appreciation to them.
Moreover, the agency prepared the following activities for the month-long celebration of women’s month: free coffee and candies will be offered to clienteles from March 9 to 31. Films with relevant content to the celebration will also be shown on the same dates.
Scholars of the Skills-for-Employment Scholarship Program (SESP) will also offer free massage, manicure and pedicure on March 13, 15, 20 and 22, 2048.
Free blood pressure check-up will be held on March 16 and 23, 2018.
OWWA-8 is one with the nation in giving due recognition to the contributions of Filipino Women in our society through creating and facilitating platforms to discuss good practices, gaps, challenges , and commitments in pursuing gender and development and inspiring and empowering women to contribute in promoting gender equality and the empowerment to all women. (PR)