CALBAYOG CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways – Samar First District Engineering Office (DPWH- Samar 1) conducted a monthly coordination meeting held last March 2, 2018, 9:00 AM at DPWH Conference Room.
The meeting was spearheaded by District Engineer (DE) Alvin Ignacio together with the project engineers and contractors.
The main agenda of the meeting were the implementation of projects and the issues and concerns that arise in its implementation.
DE Ignacio also raised issues regarding the directive from the president to complete delayed projects within 30 days and the new City and Business tax regulations.
He further recommended to the contractors and representatives to urge construction firms implementing projects in the district to attend the monthly coordination meeting so that they will be aware of the problems of their projects and the recommendation of the office would be complied by them as soon as possible so as not to delay the project implementation.
“The goal of our District office is to complete all projects within the year; efforts will be exerted to achieve this goal. We are hoping for your full cooperation because we cannot do it without your help,” said DE Ignacio as he explained to the contractors their role in the speedy delivery of infrastructure projects for 2018. (ELENOR A. ANOLLADO/PIO STAFF)

NAVAL, Biliran-Engr. Edgar B. Tabacon, Regional Director of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region VIII conducted an inspection of the Caraycaray Bridge with Engr. David P. Adongay Jr., District Engineer and Engr. Alfredo L. Bollido, Assistant District Engineer of Biliran District Engineering Office (BDEO) on March 2 to assess the status of the said bridge.
After tropical storm ‘Urduja’, the Biliran District Engineering Office exerted an effort to restore the Caraycaray Bridge within the 30-day timeline set by DPWH Secretary Mark Villar.
Both approaches of the CarayCaray bridge undergone backfilling and embankment to serve as a temporary passage for the public. It was opened to traffic for motorcycles and tricycles on January 9, 2018 and to light vehicles on January 11, 2018.
During the inspection of Director Tabacon, the approaches of Caraycaray Bridge is undergoing riprapping works to ensure that the remaining structures can still sustain another flooding while waiting for the construction of the new bridge.
The construction for the new Caraycaray Bridge is already under Preliminary and Detailed Engineering (PDE) stage undertaken by the DPWH Regional Office thru consultancy.
The approaches of the said bridge were severely damaged during the onslaught of Urduja last December, 2017.
BDEO has still deployed maintenance personnel under Engr. Glenda G. Dagalea, acting chief in the Maintenance Section to man the traffic in Caraycaray Bridge as it is limited only to 4-wheels and light vehicles.
Heavy vehicles are advised to take the alternate long route Naval-Almeria-Kawayan-Culaba-Caibiran-Cabucgayan road and vice versa. (CHELSEA QUIJANO-SALLOMAN/PR)

MAASIN CTY- We wish to inform the public that due to potential hazard of landslide at Barangay ancho-Villa road section, 6 km from Agas-Agas bridge (K1013+600), Sogod, Southern Leyte along Daang Maharlika caused by continuous heavy rainfall, the road is temporarily closed to vehicular traffic effective March 14, 2018 until further notice.
The following suggested routes are hereby recommended:
From Tacloban going to Panaon Area (including Liloan & Benit San Ricardo Ferry Terminal)
· take the Tacloban – Mahaplag – Baybay – Bato – Bontoc – Sogod – Daang Maharlika – Liloan – San Ricardo road route & vice versa or
· take the Tacloban – Abuyog – Silago – St. Bernard – Jct. Himay-angan – Daang Maharlika – Liloan – San Ricardo road route & vice versa.
From Tacloban going to Pacific Towns
· take the Tacloban – Mahaplag – Baybay – Bato – Bontoc – Sogod – Daang Maharlika – Jct. Himay-angan – St. Bernard – Silago – Abuyog Bdry. road route & vice versa or
· take the Tacloban – Abuyog – Silago – St. Bernard road route & vice versa.
Meanwhile, DPWH Southern Leyte District Engineering Office personnel has been dispatched to the area to undertake immediate repair activities. (PR)

PALO, Leyte- Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla announced that the province’s biggest sports arena, the Leyte Sports Development Center (LSDC), is undergoing major repair.
Petilla said that the repair of the facility is being funded by the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) to the tune of more than P70 million.
“We don’t have any counterpart funding for the repair of the Leyte Sports Development Center. What we did previously was have some minor repairs there,” the governor said.
The said facility, which is also known as Leyte Grandstand, served as the command center by the NDRRMC and other agencies, to include the UNOCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), after the region was pummeled by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ in 2013.
According to the governor, the repair of the said grandstand is expected to be completed middle part of this year.
Petilla said that once completed, some activities relative to the holding of the annual fiesta of Tacloban City could be held there.
The said facility is often used for the cultural competition of the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festivals of Festival.
Also, the provincial government could make use of the facility if ever it decides to bid for the holding of the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) Meet, the governor said.
Asked if he plans to bid again for the provincial government of Leyte to host the annual Palarong Pambansa, Petilla dismissed this.
He said that considering that many provinces and cities in the country are vying for the hosting of the national sporting event, he doubts if Leyte could win the bidding.
“After all, we have just hosted the Palarong Pambansa in 2009. Chances are we might just be turned down if we bid for its hosting. There are about 80 provinces and around 150 cities that are vying to host the Palarong Pambansa,” Petilla said.
Meantime, the governor extended his congratulations to the city government of Ormoc under Mayor Richard Gomez for its performance in this year’s EVRAA.
The Ormoc city delegation was declared as the over-all champion in this year’s EVRAA.
Gov. Petilla said that with a very good sports development program of the city government under Mayor Gomez, he expects that the region could perform well in this year’s EVRAA.
Petilla said that athletes from the Leyte Sports Academy are already tested and could deliver the medals not only for Leyte but for the entire region.
(JOEY A. GABIETA with ROEL T. AMAZONA)

PALO, Leyte– Davao City Mayor Sarah Duterte-Carpio urges the country’s prosecutors who attended the recently-concluded national convention held in Leyte to make a proposal of federalism model that could effectively take away powers from political warlords.
President Rodrigo Duterte, the father of the city mayor, is strongly pushing the shift of form government to federalism.
However, this form of government may result for some warlords to abuse it, she said.
Warlords abusing their power are prominent in the northern part of Luzon and in Mindanao and currently in political power.
“I’m sure ano man ang nasa isip ninyo, collect it in writing and submit it to them. Mababasa nila yan, maybe ma-consider nila all the good points that you have in mind, so that you they can come up with the best model for our country,” Mayor Duterte-Carpio said.
“Ngayon nga na wala pang federalism yung mga kapit-bahay namin na Mindanao meron silang mga rido, may patayan sila. If we give them powers of their own, I think mag-worsen ang ganyan na culture sa kanila,” she added.
“If meron silang makita na model ng federalism that will not encourage this warlord culture then I am for it,” she added.
The Duterte administration cited among reasons why pushing for a federalism form of government the unfair distribution of funds among local government units and the national government under the current set up.
Currently, collected incomes of the local government units are all remitted to the national government and receive 40 percent in a form of the internal revenue allotment (IRA) from the taxes collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
The present administration also believes that shifting to federalism style of government will also help in resolving the conflict in Mindanao.
Also during her talk, the mayor of Davao City stressed that she does not have any plans to run for senator in the 2019 election.
Rumors have circulated that the feisty city mayor is eyeing a Senate seat due to her visits to other parts of the country and by forming a political organization known as
“Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines.”
Mayor Duterte-Carpio said that she felt that she is more effective as a public servant if she will stay in local politics concentrating to the needs of her constituents in Davao City than running for a national position.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)