TACLOBAN CITY — Eastern Visayas officials have reiterated their call to the national government to give more attention to 37 areas in Leyte and Samar provinces affected by conflicts.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Regional Director Marivel Sacendoncillo said agencies need to check if they are making these areas with an insurgency problem a priority in the implementation of development projects.
“If we expect change, there should be appropriate interventions. We should look at our programs and see if we prioritize the delivery of services to conflict areas,” Sacendoncillo said in an interview Thursday.
The DILG regional chief proposed the setting up of a monitoring system to find out what the local government and national government are doing for the development of conflict-stricken areas.
In its latest report, the Philippine Army disclosed that three cities and 24 towns in the region have confirmed activities of the New People’s Army (NPA).
There are 404 active NPA members equipped with 576 firearms in the region’s four provinces, according to the military.
Department of Budget and Management Regional Director Imelda Laceras has asked the Philippine Army to regularly provide insurgency situation updates to the Regional Development Council and agencies tasked to deliver basic services.
“This is to guide concerned agencies to go where they are supposed to go. Conflict-affected areas should be a top priority. I don’t think it is highly considered now,” Laceras said. “We need to give the same level of support to these areas for budgetary allocation in 2019 otherwise these areas will remain as what they are now.”
Sacendoncillo has called for a review of sites of anti-poverty projects, such as farm-to-market roads and rural health centers, if these are being placed in areas with insurgency threats.
“Make sure that projects are in sites where they are needed most. If we will overlay the programs into the map of security agencies, we can see if the project matches the needs,” she added.
The military has raised major issues why insurgency thrives in some areas even after decades of gun battle. These are poverty, land distribution, poor road networks, no electricity, no clean water, lack of access to education, absence of health and other government services, no economic opportunities, and political dynasties. (SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

CATARMAN, Northern Samar– Top officials of this province are now officially members of the ruling Partido Demokratikong Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), leaving only Rep. Raul Daza as the lone non-party member in the province.
Governor Jose Ong and his nephew, Rep. Edwin Ongchuan, Vice Gov. Gary Lavin, provincial board members and 22 town mayors took their oath as new PDP-Laban members before House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez during a mass oath-taking ceremony held at the University of Eastern Philippines Gymnatorium in the capital town of Catarman on March 8.
The top officials of the province joined the more than 3,200 others as new members of the party of President Rodrigo Duterte which lost in the province during the 2016 presidential elections.
With their affiliation with the ruling party, Gov. Ong said that they are now committed to support all the programs of the Duterte administration, to include the plan towards federalism.
“I pledge to the Speaker with an assurance that we will deliver a strong Yes to federalism under a new Constitution,” the governor said.
But his elder brother, former congressman Jose Ong, did not took his oath like his former rival, Daza, who still a member of the Liberal Party.
The former solon said that while he remains to be with the National Unity Party (NUP), he still considers himself an original member of the administration party.
“When I ran for assemblyman in 1984 I ran under the PDP. Kasi nagboycott noon ang LP (Liberal Party). Ginawa ako nina Nene (Aquilino) Pimentel as charter member. Kaya hindi na ako kailangan mag take oath, nauna na ako noon,”, he said.
He added that the NUP of which he serves as its vice president has an existing coalition with PDP-Laban of which he was also one of the signatories.
Meantime, Daza said that his presence during the event was only out of courtesy to Speaker Alvarez and to show that the coalition forged by the LP and the PDD-Laban in the province still exists.
During the event, Speaker Alvarez had chided the veteran solon to jump ship and join the PDP-Laban.
“Si Manong Raul baka gusto ring mag take oath”, Alvarez said when he was giving instructions to the crowd of about 4,000 for the ceremonial oath-taking.
When Alvarez’s microphone malfunctioned, he jokingly blamed it to the LP.
“Kaingon ko taga- Liberal ni nga akong microphone”, Alvarez said which sent the crowd into laughter.
Daza took the ribbings of Alvarez lightly saying the Speaker was only joking.
“He was smiling when he was talking. So I did not take offense,” he said.
Pantaleon arrived via a private aircraft along with his partner Jennifer Vicencio, Davao first district Rep. Karlo Nograles and Maguindanao second district Rep. Zajid “Dong” Mangudadatu.
Representatives from other provinces in the region – Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, Samar first district Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento, Leyte second district Rep. Henry Ong – and UEP President Dr. Rolando Delorino also attended the activity.(RACHEL V. ARNAIZ)

KANANGA, Leyte – A 12-year old boy from a remote village of this town died few hours after a venomous snake bit him at the rice field Tuesday at about 10 in the morning.
The victim, Jason Tasan, a resident of Barangay Libertad, was with his mother when he was attacked by the snake, biting him in his chest.
Based on the report, the victim, who was a fifth grader at the Libertad Elementary School, was with his mother to gather some spilled newly-harvested rice grains.
Beatriz, the victim’s mother, said that her son went ahead from her group hoping to gather more grains for the family when suddenly she heard him shouting for help.
The shocked mother rushed to his rescue and carried him on her back to return home. The boy was already complaining of weakness and almost fainted.
The long walk may have triggered the venom to spread before the child was given first aid from a traditional medicine and later brought to a hospital in Ormoc City, about 30 kilometers away.
He, however, was declared dead by his attending physician minutes after he received an anti-venom injection.
The boy was the second child of Beatriz to die due to a snake bite. In 1990, another son was bitten by a snake at their village.
(ELVIE ROMAN-ROA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine National Police (PNP) in the region awarded its performing units during the 27th PNP Founding Anniversary held March 12.
Leyte Police Provincial Office (LPPO) bested five other police provincial offices for the Best Police Provincial Office award while Ormoc City Police Office (OCPO) was awarded as the Best City Police Office and Calbayog City Police Station was awarded as the Best Component City Police Station.
In the municipal level, Barugo Municipal Police Station was awarded as Best Municipal Police Station (Type A and B) and Bobon Municipal Police Station was awarded as Best Municipal Police Station (Type C).
The Ormoc City Police Office (OCPO) 3 bagged the Best Police Station at the City Police Office level.
For the Best in Police Intelligence, Eastern Samar Provincial Police Office bagged the award, while the OCPO bagged the Best in Police Operations.
LPPO bagged the Best in Police Community Relations and OCPO bagged the Best in Police Investigation.
The Leyte Provincial Mobile Force Company bagged the Best Provincial Mobile Force Company and the 801st Maneuver Company, RMFB8 as the Best RMFB 8 Maneuver Company.
Also, a total of 261 police personnel were also promoted, nine were promoted to superintendents; two to police chief inspectors; 20 to police senior inspectors; 59 to police inspectors; 45 to senior police officer 3; 33 to senior police officer 2; 72 to senior police officer 1; 97 to police officer 3; and 69 to police officer 2.
“Please continue supporting the PNP.Policemen are always here to support, help and secure people whoever they are. There is no distinction as to whom who will protect for as long as you need our help, policemen will always be there to help you,” Police Regional Director Gilberto Cruz said.
The awarding of promotion was held at the Robinsons Mall in Abucay and attended by top regional police officials and the families of the newly-promoted PNP personnel.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources(DENR) in the region has stepped up its drive in the protection of the foreign and resident ducks at the Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park (MVNP), including their habitat in the boundaries of the municipalities of Burauen, La Paz and McArthur, all in Leyte.
Dr. Eugenia Bautista, DENR-8’s chief Conservation and Development Division (CDD), told Leyte Samar Daily Express that her office is closely monitoring the increase in the number of the foreign ducks in the MVNP which are the wandering whistling ducks (Dendrocygna arcuata).
Bautista said that these foreign ducks just live along with the endemic or native Philippine ducks (Anas luzonica) otherwise known as the Philippine mallard ducks and other birds at the national park.
Bautista said that the field personnel of the DENR-8 have been observing the increase of these foreign ducks from less than 1,000 in the 2014 to almost double last year.
Most of these foreign ducks mostly came from Australia, Indonesia, Pacific Islands and the nearby countries in the Pacific areas.
She also said that most of these wandering whistling ducks are now considered “resident foreign ducks” as they have found a new “home” in the two lakes of the park which are the Mahagnao and Malagsum Lakes.
She clarified that these new “settlers” may in the future return back to their place of origin if they will be disturbed, hunted for food or their habitat in the park will be destroyed.
Bautista pointed out that the MVNP should be protected including all its inhabitants, to include the migratory birds.
She said that these foreign ducks are added attraction for the tourists and bird watchers who are visiting the park.
Meantime, Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, in a separate interview, said that his office and the local government units of the municipalities of Burauen, La Paz and MacArthur are also extending assistance for the preservation and protection of the MVNP.
The governor said that the attractive environmental conditions of the park makes it as one of the major tourist spots that the province could be proud of.
He added that his office has also noted increasing numbers of both local and foreign tourists visiting MVNP yearly.
The MVNP is one of the protected areas of the DENR under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS).
It has an elevation of 1,200 meters above sea level and an area of 635 hectares, within the boundaries of Burauen, La Paz and McArthur towns.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

ORMOC CITY- Tired but obviously happy was how the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Barangay Sumanga looked as they savor their first harvest of sugarcane within the 17.5-hectare landawarded to them under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) 21 years ago.
“Masaya kami dahil may income na kami. May pambayad na salupa, at matutupad na ang pangarap ng anak ko na makapagtapos ng pag-aaral.” (We are happy because we now have income. We can now pay land amortization, and my child’s dream to get a college degree will already be realized.) These were the words of Pablo Silva, 55, one of the 24 ARBs and president of the Sumanga United Farmers Association (SUFA) during the interview on March 8.
Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer (MARPO) Perpetua Sabaldan who takes charge of installation activities in Leyte, explained that the 17.5 hectares are just part of the 35-hectare property previously owned by the Potenciano and Anecita Larrazabal Enterprises Corporation (PALEC) that was awarded to SUFA.
According to her, 12 hectares of which were planted to root crops by the ARBs.
Their journey as ARBs was not smooth. They were blocked from entering the property by the previous landowner who resisted coverage of the lot under CARP.
Pablo and the 23 other ARBs waited for 19 years to be installed in their awarded land, and two more years before they were able to harvest in the land that was already theirs 21 years ago.
He narrated that after several attempts, they were successfully installed on June 20, 2016 with the combined efforts of officials from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR); KAISAHAN, a non-government organization assisting them; and the Philippine National Police.
But the previous landowner bargained during the dialogue to allow them to harvest first the existing crop for they were the ones who planted them. After the harvest, the previous landowner surrendered the land to the ARBs as promised during the said dialogue.
Pablo shared that during Tuesday’s harvestthey are expecting about 15 truckloads of freshly harvested sugarcane with an estimated net income of P14,000 for every truckload.
As it takes about 12 months for this crop before it could be harvested, the ARBs had to wait until the current year to experience the complete success of their struggle.
However, Wowie Silva, 21, who helps his father, Pablo, in farming said it could have been better if the trucks that would transport the harvested sugarcane to the sugar central can enter the area for fast and easy hauling.
Wowie disclosed that trucks can no longer enter their area because the road leading here is privately owned by the previous landowner and the latter dug a big hole along the way preventing trucks from passing by.
Because of this according to him, the men have to carry on their shoulders the harvested sugarcane for a distance of about a kilometer where trucks can wait.
Though this is no longer a big deal to Pablo, still he appeals to concerned sectors to help them have an access road.(JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA/PR)