TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Tourism (DOT) is eyeing more well-trained tourism workers in Samar province with the offering of tourism training program in senior high school (SHS).
DOT Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said the Department of Education (DepEd) Samar division has picked tourism as a banner training program for SHS considering that it is the priority of the provincial government.
The skills training will center on housekeeping, restaurant operation, bartending, and tour guiding.
“We looked at the possibility that there are some marginalized areas where students couldn’t really afford to go to college but want to be employed in a tourism industry. They need skills that will help them find a decent job in the tourism industry,” Tiopes said.
The training has started this school year and the tourism department hopes to replicate the program in other provinces of the region.
Prior to offering tourism in the academic tracks, the local government, DOT, and DepEd trained 58 teachers and drafted the teaching modules.
Part of the training is the tour to tourism-related establishments in Samar province to observe and practice.
After the training, they will also be brought to Manila to observe the standards of services and facilities in different tourism establishment and training centers.
(MELVA MAE C. MENIANO)
DOT expects more travel workers in Samar after tourism course offered in senior high school
Works on the P615.36-M World Bank-funded rural roads in E. Visayas now underway
TACLOBAN CITY – Construction of seven farm-to-market-roads (FMR) projects worth P615.36 million under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) are now ongoing, the regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported on Tuesday(Sept.12).
The infrastructure component of the World Bank-funded PRDP aims to help in transporting farm products to commercial center, hence, raising the income of families in farming communities, said Jenny Lyn Almeria, DA-PRDP regional deputy project coordinator.
These projects are P50.32 million rehabilitation of Bantayan-Malobago Pagsang-an FMR in San Roque, Northern Samar; P77.6 million concreting of Cogon-Mabini FMR in Basey, Samar; P20.26 million improvement Dau-Eduardo FMR in Sta. Rita, Samar; and the P24.93 million concreting of Camanhagay-Poblacion 1 FMR in San Sebastian, Samar.
In Southern Leyte, these projects are the rehabilitation of P30.39 Suba Kanangkaan-San Vicente-San Juan FMR in Sogod town; P182.7 million improvement of Mahayahay-Manalog FMR in Saint Bernard; and P229.1 million upgrading of San Roque-Bahay FMR in Liloan.
“There are also 15 other pipelined projects still waiting for approval with a total budget requirement of P10.6 billion,” Almeria said.
The PRDP is a six-year project of the Department of Agriculture which covers nationwide. This aims to modernize and improve sectors of resilient fisheries and agriculture.
The project is a partnership among World Bank, national government, and local government units.
The PRDP is a six-year rural development project worth P27.5 billion to be funded through World Bank loan worth P20.56 billion, and P7 billion in counterpart funds from the national government and local government units. The project has started in 2014. (PATRICIA SALVO/PNA)
Nearly P7-B budget eyed for roads to industries
TACLOBAN CITY – Eastern Visayas is eyeing a P6.89 billion budget in the next two years to finance road projects leading to various industries and economic zones.
For 2018, the national government has approved P558.97 million for 10 projects dubbed as Roads Leveraging Linkages for Industry and Trade (ROLL IT) Program, a convergence between the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Submitted for 2019 funding are 42 roads with a total budget requirement of P6.33 billion.
“The priorities are the roads leading to areas with processing activities or major sources of raw materials. This is the basic concept of the project,” said DTI Regional Director Cynthia Nierras in an interview Friday(Sept.15).
In Naval, Biliran, up for implementation next year are upgrading of Caraycaray-Cabungaan Libton Road, NRJ Agpangi connecting road in sitio Pongo, NRJ villa Consuelo connecting to Libtong Road, Villa Caneja connecting to Kahukaw subvillage road, and Villa Caneja-Anislagan Road.
Other projects include improvement of the access road from the national highway to Barangay Iberan in Salcedo, Eastern Samar; Divisoria-Langit-San Antonio Farm-San Diego-Sto. Niño Road in Alangalang, Leyte; Minuhang-Balud and Balud-Duka Road in Barugo, Leyte; Ichon-Sindangan-Guinabonan-Maningning Road in Macrohon and Malitbog, Southern Leyte; and Road from Patong-Tuburan-Ilaya-Nava-San Juan in Southern Leyte.
The DTI and DPWH will have yet to release the list for 2019 projects.
The initiative is patterned after the Department of Tourism – DPWH Convergence Program or the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program that resulted to the upgrading of roads leading to tourist destinations.
In a statement, DPWH Regional Director Edgar Tabacon said is also timely as a fulfillment of the promise of the golden age of infrastructure for the Philippines by the Duterte Administration.
“This would create the opportunity to utilize the projected substantial increase in the budget for infrastructure into the development of complementary networks of regional and local roads that will connect to, and optimize the use of, the improved national roads system,” Tabacon said.
Priority industries and activities are those with high potentials to globally competitive, innovative and resilient and those that can generate jobs and create spill-over effects to other industries and economic activities.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)
San Juan Nat’l High School student wins PhilHealth 8 Quiz Bee
PhilHealth Regional Office 8 in cooperation with the Department of Education – Southern Leyte Division recently conducted the first PhilHealth Quiz Bee for Grade 10 students. It was one of the highlights for the 55th Anniversary Celebration of DepEd Southern Leyte. Thirty-two (32) out of 41 secondary schoolsin theSouthern Leyte Division participated in the quiz bee. Alyiah Marie Bulilan of San Juan National High School emerged as the champion for the first PhilHealth Learner’s Material Quiz Bee. She truly deserved to be the winner because aside from topping the objective exams she also nailed the orals with her explanation of the PhilHealth vision. Officers who were in attendance were impressed with her flawless answer which showed her deep understanding of the PhilHealth vision. Completing the top 5 were Athena Marie Engaño of Pintuyan National High School as 1st Runner-up, Devenah Dawn Dagoltay of Limasawa National High School as 2nd Runner-up, Jacklyn Buzon of San Roque National High School 3rd Runner-up and Allena Grace Cagnaan of Pintuyan National Vocational School as 4th runner-up. The winners as well as their MAPEH teachers who also served as their coaches received cash prizes, certificates of recognition and Corporate giveaways from PhilHealth. The quiz bee was based on the PhilHealth Learner’s Material (PLM) which is being taught in the health component of the MAPEH subject for Grade 10 students. The PLM was certified as compliant with the K-12 program of the Department of Education and its inclusion in the Grade 10 Curriculumis being pilot-tested in the Division of Southern Leyte.The program aims to ingrain in the young, the basic information about PhilHealth as well as the principles of the National Health Insurance Program. The quiz beehad three levels: Elimination Round, Semi-Final Round and the Final Round. The elimination round was a pen-and-paper test designed to select the top thirteen scorers who advanced to the semi-final round. From the semi-final round, the top six finalists emerged and competed in the final round. PhilHealth 8 Regional Vice President Renato L. Limsiaco, Jr. was very impressed with the contestants’ knowledge of PhilHealth. In his message, RVP Limsiaco encouraged the students to share the information to their parents and family members. On the other hand, Mr. Genis Murallos, the Schools Division Superintendent of DepEd Southern Leyte, also emphasized the importance of being knowledgeable about PhilHealth as it will empower the students and their families in availing the benefits. RVP Limsiaco, acknowledged the support of the DepEd management especially Regional Director Ramir Uytico, and the entire team of the DepEd Southern Leyte Division headed by Superintendent Arturo Isip for the success of the quiz bee as well as that of the PLM implementation. “We would also like to commend the MAPEH teachers for their time and efforts in cascading accurate information about PhilHealth. Their labour will not be in vain as it will allow more families to have access to PhilHealth benefits” Limsiaco added. (Miramar Zabala)
S. Leyte top drug pusher killed in a police operation
Dagting alleged to engaged in ‘shabu’ business
ORMOC CITY – One of Southern Leyte’s alleged top drug dealers was killed during a police operation after he reportedly fought back.
Killed was Gilbert Dagting, 37, who died on the spot after he sensed that his supposed buyer was an undercover agent during a sting operation in Barangay Salvacion, Sogod town on September 7.
Dagting was on the list of the top drug suspects in Sogod but voluntarily surrendered before the police authorities under the ‘Oplan: Tokhang,’ said Chief Inspector Delfin Tan chief of the Sogod Drug Enforcement Team in a phone interview.
Tan said that an undercover agent purchased one small sachet of metamphetamine hydrochloride or ‘shabu’ from Dagting but drew his gun after he sensed that it was a sting operation.
This resulted to a fire fight which resulted to the death of Dagting, Tan said.
Tan said that before they conducted their sting operation, they first initiated a test buy from Dagting.
The official said that this only confirmed their suspicion that despite Dagting’s surrender under Oplan Tokhang, he still continued his illegal activity of selling shabu.
Chief Supt. Gilberto Cruz, police regional director, had earlier said that he would continue the campaign on the proliferation of illegal drugs in the region as directed by their national headquarters.
He, however, said that he would make sure that their campaign would not result to any human right violations among suspects subject of their operations.
But the newly-assumed police regional director also said that he would ensure that the proliferation of illegal drugs in the region would be address accordingly.
Since the start of the campaign started last June of last year, more than 42,000 individuals have surrendered under the Oplan Tokhang which also resulted in the death of around 150 suspects, many of them were considered as ‘death under investigation’ as suspects were not known or killed outside legitimate police operations.
The campaign of the national government under President Rodrigo Duterte against illegal drugs has drew condemnation from various human rights advocates both here and abroad claiming it resulted to so-called extrajudicial killings.
President Duterte himself has denied the existence of extrajudicial killings.
By: ROBERT DEJON
Tacloban shortlisted for presidential child-friendly award
TACLOBAN CITY- Evaluators from the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) were in the in the city to conduct a validation as Tacloban was shortlisted for the presidential award for child-friendly municipalities and cities.
Tacloban, the lone highly urbanized city in the region, is nominated for the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Government (SCFLG) – a recognition and audit system for LGU-initiated programs benefiting children.
The team, headed by Ma. Erlinda Aguila, evaluated five barangays namely, 92, 93, 87 and 43 and one model barangay- Brgy. 62-B, identified by the local government unit.
Other members of the evaluation team were Maricel Manlapaz (DSWD), SPO2 Marsha Agustin (PNP), and Jacob Maximin Thaddeus Taguinod (CWC) from the National Award Committee (NAC).
Also part of the team were Jenna Negros (Department of Interior and Local Government), Dr. Milagros Bolito (Department of Health), Dr. Catalino Dotollo (National Nutrition Council) and Richelle Villamor from regional sub-committee for the Welfare of Children.
Last year, Tacloban City garnered a 91% rating in the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA) which merited its inclusion in the list of 18 LGUs shortlisted nationwide for the SCFLG.
According to Aguila, the seal’s indicators include the LGU’s policy formulation and resource mobilization in the delivery of basic social services for health, education, social protection and community initiated projects for the welfare of children.
She added that they will also look into indicators in the barangay level, like the presence of barangay health stations, elementary or high school, day care centers, and functionality of the local and barangay councils for the protection of children.
Last Friday (Sept.8), the team conducted their exit conference which presented the initial results of the validation they have conducted.
Tacloban City is among four HUCs included in the nationwide SCFLG shortlist which includes Baguio, Davao, and Muntinlupa.
Among the noteworthy programs of the city benefitting children is the supplementary feeding program which benefits 4,260 children from 71-day care centers around the city.
Lasting a cycle of 120 days, it is being implemented by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) and is considered to be instrumental in the drop of malnutrition prevalence in the city.
The city government also maintains a center for abused children (along with a Center for Abused Women) – the only facility of its kind in Region 8 which offers psychosocial support and a temporary sanctuary for neglected and maltreated children.
Child-friendly desks were also instituted in the barangays to render protection services benefiting children, while the City Health Office maintains a network of health centers which puts a premium on child health care.
The promotion of health and welfare of children in the city is one of the priortiy programs of City Mayor Cristina Romualdez.
The Presidential Award for the Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities is pursuant to Executive Order No. 184 issued last December 13, 1999. It is considered as a mechanism to gauge the level of child-friendliness of a particular city or municipality and at the same time gives recognition to LGUs that puts a premium on child-friendly Governance. (HENRY JAMES G.ROC/CIO)