TACLOBAN CITY– A 38-year-old man in Naval, Biliran was found dead due to apparent suicide on January 8, making him the fifth resident in Eastern Visayas to have killed themselves within a week.

The victim was identified as an employee of an electric cooperative and a resident of Barangay Caraycaray of the said town.

Authorities said that he was found hanging with the use of rope tied around his neck.
On January 7, a 63-year-old jobless man was also found hanging using a nylon rope around his neck at Brgy. Jubasan, Allen, Northern Samar.

Three more incidents of apparent suicide were reported by police authorities from January 1 to 4 at Brgy. Viena Maria, Catubig, Northern Samar; Brgy.Taguite, Babatngon, Leyte; and Brgy. Poblacion 2, Daram, Samar.

The victims were identified as a 27-year-old farmer, a 31-year- old jobless resident, and another 20-year-old man, respectively.

Authorities said most of the victims showed depressive behavior before the incidents, citing the statements from victims’ families and relatives.

Police are conducting follow-up investigations.

Individuals suffering from depression and needing such assistance may call HopeLine Hotlines at (02) 804-HOPE (4673); 0917 558 HOPE (4673); and 2919 (toll-free number for all GLOBE and TM subscribers).
(RONALD O. REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY-A total of 2,552 police personnel here in the region were promoted to the second-level uniformed personnel regular promotion program for this year.

“Your promotion lies the weight of bigger responsibilities you will carry along the way. You are now senior officers, and with that, you are expected to be good examples to your Junior officers,” said Brigadier General Rommel Francisco Marbil, police regional director, during Jan.10 ceremony held at the PRO 8 Caboboy gymnasium, Camp Ruperto Kangleon in Palo, Leyte.

“Amid the issue nowadays, as your regional director, I can assure you that the men and women of Police Regional Office 8 are clean and true to public service,” he added.

Out of the 2,552 promoted officials, 1,449 are organic personnel of the police regional command composed of 161 police commissioned officers (PCOs) and 2,288 police non-commissioned officers (PNCOs), according to the information released by the police regional command.

From the National Support Units (NSUs) inside the PRO 8 headquarters, 68 were promoted, composed of nine PCOs and 59 PNCOs while 35 got promoted from NSUS outside regional headquarters, composed of five PCOs and 30 PNCOs.

The ranks and numbers of promoted personnel include Police Major (16), Police Captain (145), Police Executive Master Sergeant (26), Police Chief Master Sergeant (25), Police Staff Master Sergeant (49), Police Master Sergeant (68), Police Staff Sergeant (979), and Police Corporal (1,141).
(RONALD O. REYES)

The Philippine Statistics Authority – Regional Statistical Services Office VIII
(PSA – RSSO 8) is conducting the January 2023 Labor Force Survey (LFS) from
09 to 31 January 2023. The LFS is a nationwide monthly household survey that measures the country’s current labor market and is used, among others, to calculate national and regional employment and unemployment rates.

The January 2023 LFS round will be used to quantify the continuing effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on labor and employment in the country. The January 2023 LFS Individual Questionnaire also includes questions about the household member’s demographic and socio-economic characteristics on the following: 1) engagement in online platform, 2) functional difficulty, and 3) migration experience. The latter can be used as inputs to the migration rates computation for the generation/updating of population projection.

A total of 2,688 sample households in Eastern Visayas will be interviewed to provide provincial and highly urbanized city (HUC) level estimates for this survey. During data collection, PSA-hired statistical researchers will utilize tablets installed with Computer-Aided Data Collection System (CADaCS) for the mixed mode of computer-aided personal interviewing (CAPI); face-to-face interview, or telephone interview.

The PSA – RSSO 8 enjoins the public to support the January 2023 LFS by providing the required information to authorized PSA statistical researchers. The office adheres to the principles of transparency, legitimate purpose, and proportionality pursuant to
R.A. No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and R.A. No. 10625 or the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013. All information gathered from the survey are confidential and not for disclosure unless authorized by law. Moreover, all data will be released in the form of summaries or statistical tables.

The office assures the public that required public health and safety measures to mitigate COVID-19 will be strictly observed in all phases of field operations. All PSA personnel and hired statistical researchers who will be deployed are vaccinated, healthy and will wear PSA ID. (PR)