TACLOBAN CITY -The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) has pushed back the completion date for the P80 million San Juanico Bridge lighting project from November 2018 to April 2019.
Oliver Cam, vice chair of the infrastructure and utilities development committee vice chair of the Regional Development Council (RDC), said TIEZA and other stakeholders agreed that completing the project on or before November 2018 is not realistic.
“There are lots of basic paper works to be done to get to the point where it is ready for implementation. There’s a need to come up with technical details, engineering design, and scope of work of the project,” Cam said.
The RDC official who represents the business sector, said TIEZA is closely coordinating with the project proponent, the Samar provincial government to carry out the project. A management board with various agencies and local government units as members, will be organized to manage the new tourism attraction.
Brett de los Santos, Samar provincial investment and trade promotions office chief, said the new target completion date is April 2019.
The plan is to light up the entire 2.16-kilometer structure.
“Once the project is complete, there would be a 10-minute light show six times nightly that may include water, light, and laser aspects. Every night, there would be six-hour park mode or static mode lights with subtle movement of lights,” de los Santos said.
The project will use light-emitting diode, one of today’s most energy-efficient and rapidly-developing lighting technologies.
Just like other shows, its colors will be in support of various events throughout the year, the lighting will also be programmed to celebrate special occasions, Tan said.
Samar’s provincial government will also build a boardwalk for a perfect view of the show and provide music. Tan encourages investors to put up shops nearby.
Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan shared the idea on illuminating the iconic bridge to Tacloban City Mayor and RDC chair Cristina Romualdez in an effort to add vibrancy and interest to nighttime tourism.
At present, tourists can enjoy daytime activities at the San Juanico Bridge through the tour packages offered by private operator, Aquamomentum.
The bridge’s transformation would be a new attraction under the Spark Samar, a branding campaign initially launched in 2015.
Once called the Marcos Bridge, the San Juanico Bridge was built in August 1969 over the San Juanico Strait, the narrowest navigational strait in the world that separates Samar and Leyte Islands and was completed in December 1972.
The bridge that spans 2.162 km. was built as part of the Pan-Philippine Highway now called the Maharlika Highway, a network of roads, bridges, and sea routes that connect the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The 18-athlete delegation from the Leyte Sport Academy (LSA) won a total of 11 gold medals in the 2018 Philippine National Games held in Cebu City last May 19-25.
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla told Leyte Samar Daily Express that aside from the gold medals won in the athletic competitions, the LSA-enrolled young athletes also won 8 silver and 5 bronze medals.
Gov. Petilla said that all the 11 gold medals won by the delegation came from athletics or track and field events with eight athletes only who participated in the competitions.
He added that boxing participated in by three athletes contributed three silver medals and judo with seven athletes who participated in the event got three bronze medals.
Petilla said that LSA athletes are still the overall all champion in the track and field girls division with two most valuable (MVP) player namely, Decerie Jane Niala who won four gold medals in the 16-17 years old youth category and Catherine Manese who won three gold medals in the 18 year old and above or junior category. (RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, PALO, Leyte- A 58-year old man from Bobon, Northern Samar was drowned in a river Thursday (May 31) afternoon.
The victim was identified as Ruben Alzaga, a resident of Barangay Gen. Lucban of said town.
Reports reaching the regional Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters, said that at about 2:14 pm, the victim, who was having a drinking spree with his friends, went to the nearby Sawangan Point to catch fish.
But he failed to return to his friends as his lifeless body was found later floating in the water.
Initial investigation disclosed that the victim, who was already under the influence of liquor, could have been drowned.
His companions rushed him to a rural health unit for a post-mortem examination. (PR)

ORMOC CITY-The local government of Ormoc City is bent in making it as one of the very few cities in the country where public smoking is banned.
And this early, Mayor Richard Gomez issued a warning to visitors who will come to the city during their annual fiesta next month not to smoke in public.
Otherwise, they will be charged for violating their ordinance against public smoking, the mayor said.
“If they want to smoke, they have to smoke outside (the city proper) and then balik na sila dito,” he said.
The city is to celebrate its annual fiesta on June 29 with thousands of visitors expected to visit Ormoc and witness its fiesta-related activities like its Piña Festival.
Violators of the city’s anti-smoking ordinance (Ordinance Number 35), approved in 2014, imposes a penalty of P500 up to P1,500, depending on the number of violations committed.
The intensified campaign against anti-smoking of the city government is also anchored under Republic Act 9211, otherwise known as the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 which prohibits smoking in public and selling of cigarettes to minors.
Gomez, who is an actor and athlete, said that by intensifying on their anti-smoking campaign, they could help their people achieve good health saying that smoking can cause cancer and other diseases.
“Our end goal here is to make our citizens healthy. We know the bad effects of smoking as it causes lung cancer and other diseases,” he said.
The city mayor, however, could not say if smoking is among the leading causes of deaths in Ormoc City.
But he was quick to say that their campaign only involves those smoking in public places as smokers could still smoke at their homes or in public places like restaurants which have designated smoking areas.
As part of their campaign, Gomez had led ‘Operation: Baklas’ wherein advertisements and other promotional campaign on cigarettes placed 100 meters away from schools and other public places like plazas were taken down which are frequented by minors.
Members of its city police are also directed to enforce both the city ordinance and national law on public smoking.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- Police personnel will be deployed in all schools across the city as the new school year is to start this Monday (June 4).
About 160 police personnel are to be deployed in the schools as part of their security measure, Chief Inspector Rex Cantillep, deputy director for operation of the Tacloban City Police, said.
“It is not only the responsibility of the schools or the PNP so it is collaborating between the barangay officials and community as well para han kaupay han aton mga kabataan kay usa an environment nga nakakahatag interest han aton mga bata to enhance their skills and knowledge because good environment in the school, it will help enhance the interest of the student or enhance their knowledge through education”, he said.
Police personnel will be deployed to all 13 public secondary schools and 21 elementary schools in the city.
The activity is part of Operation Balik Eskwela(OBE).
Oplan Balik Eskwela is an annual campaign initiated by the Department of Education (DepEd), in coordination with other government agencies like the PNP, communities, and other stakeholders help prepare for the opening of every school year.
It aims to ensure that students are properly enrolled and able to attend school during the opening of classes.
It seeks to address common problems encountered during school opening. It was first established on 2005.
(REJOY R. TORALBA, SHELLA MAE D. ASTORGA, DHEMA NIÑA O. IGAY, NwSSU Student Intern)

Pres. Duterte invited to grace the city fiesta

TACLOBAN CITY- A livelier and more colorful Sangyaw Festival’s “Parade of Lights” will be staged this year as it now enters its 10th year.
This was disclosed by City Mayor Cristina Romualdez during a press conference Friday(June 1) as lined-up activities relative to the forthcoming city fiesta were disclosed by her.
“We have nothing but to ensure that our people and the visitors will enjoy our fiesta which is a month-long celebration,” Romualdez said.
She disclosed that they have invited President Rodrigo Duterte and her daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, among other officials, to attend this year’s city fiesta.
The city mayor also said that she is rushing for the completion of some traffic lights, at least at the city’s downtown area, before the June 30 festivities as an ‘added attraction’.
The city’s traffic lights were destroyed when it was hit by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ in 2013.
Among the activities in this year’s city fiesta include the holding of the Miss Tacloban, nightly cultural presentations, band shows featuring local and national bands, different sports competition, Sangyaw Awards which gives honors to outstanding Taclobanons, Sangyaw Festival of Lights and the Balyuan rites involving the images of Sto. Niño de Tacloban and Sto. Niño of Basey.
Mayor Romualdez said that as this year marks its 10th year after it was revived by her husband, former mayor Alfred Romualdez, she want it to be a bigger spectacle both the city residents and visitor could enjoy.
More than 15 contingents are to compete in this year’s Sangyaw Festival’ Parade of Lights. Four of them are from Biliran, Surigao, Pinabacdao and Hinabangan, both in Samar.
The city mayor was quick to say that while this year’s Sangyaw Festival will be bigger compare to previous years, they will see to it that they will not spend so much.
“We will be working on a limited budget as we asked sponsorship (from private companies),” she said.
She declined to say as to how much the city government has allocated for this year’s fiesta celebration.
Security will also be tight across the city during the month-long celebration, particularly in areas where there are activities being held, to ensure the safety of the public.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)