TACLOBAN CITY — The National Food Authority (NFA) in the region is expecting to receive 12,000 metric tons (MT) of imported rice from Vietnam and Thailand starting June.
NFA Regional Director Henry Tristeza said the allocation will be coming from the 250,000 MT of rice purchased through government-to-government scheme.
The 12,000 MT of rice is equivalent to 240,000 bags.
“The new shipment will ensure us enough rice supply for at least six days if NFA will be the only source of staple food. That is not the case because we have enough stocks from commercial traders and households,” Tristeza said.
The volume is only a small fraction of the 60-day buffer stocks target as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.
The incoming stocks is expected to bring down the price of commercial rice in the market with the availability of NFA rice at only P27 and P32 per kilogram (kg), said Tristeza.
The NFA regional chief admitted the absence of NFA rice in the market contributed to the increase in the price of commercial rice in the region from an average of P40 per kg to P45 per kg.
For Rebecca Sulibaga, 44, from Barangay Lunang in the island town of Almagro, Samar, the higher prices of rice makes life difficult for their family of six supported by her husband’s PHP300 daily income from fishing.
“Now that rice is expensive, we have no choice, but to cut our budget for other food items, education, and fare. Another option is to borrow money from our friends and relatives,” Sulibaga said.
Pedicab driver Raul Piga, 35, from Youngfield village in this city said their hand-to-mouth existence has worsened as prices of basic food items such as rice went up.
“A big chunk of our budget goes to buying rice. Most of the time, our side dish is just lawlaw,” Piga said.
Lawlaw or fish paste is a kind of tiny sardine buried and preserved in salt, commonly eaten by impoverished families who have no other alternative to enhance the taste of rice.
The NFA has stopped selling rice in the six Eastern Visayas provinces last February due to dwindling stocks.
For the second batch of 250,000 MT of imported rice which was bid out through government-to-private (G2P) scheme this week, will bring another 12,000 mt of rice to the region.
NFA will announce winning bidder before end of May.
The government attempted to replenish stocks through the import of 250,000 MT but bidding failed in the last week of April.
The country reopened offers from the governments of Vietnam and Thailand early of May.
The NFA is sticking to its target of having the rice imports in the country within June. (with reports from PRINCESS ROSETTE CABONEGRO and CHANDA MAE DIALINO, OJTs)

BY: SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA

First Filipina to win the title

TACLOBAN CITY – A native of Catbalogan City who is now based in London was crowned as this year’s Miss Summer World 2018 held in Albania.
Kacey Coleen Lim is the first from the Philippines and Asia to bag the title, besting more than 20 candidates from other counties during a glittering ceremonies held on May 20.
“It was only a dream and now I am finally living my dream, Lim shared in her Facebook account after winning the crown.
She also bagged the Miss Summer Asia award and Best in National Costume which was designed by award-winning Tacloban based-designer Nick Guarino.
“I would have not been able to do it on my own, so I am forever thankful to a lot of people who have been very supportive to me all along. First of all to my camp The Royalty’s UK headed by our beauty queen maker Mr. Romulo Tan Palma, Mr. Nick Guarino for my national costume, and Pasarela London for my evening gown,” Lim said.
The candidate from Portugal was declared as first runner-up while Miss Georgia was named as 2nd runner-up. Also in the winning circle were the representatives of Ukraine (3rd runner-up); Gambia, 4th runner-up; and Albania, 5th runner-up.
Although the pageant, now on its third year, was far from the Philippines, she said that she felt the support of the Filipinos through the messages that she received during the entire pageant.
Lim, who finished political science degree at the University of the Philippines, is currently in London pursuing Law Program at the BPP University Law School as she dreamed to become a full-fledge lawyer in United Kingdom.
Before studying in London, Lim used to work at the City Mayor’s Office in Catbalogan where among her jobs was to organized events for the city such as the month-long activities for the Manaragat Festival held every month of August.
Lim is the second beauty queen from Eastern Visayas to win an international crown this year after Miss Eco International Cynthia Thomalla who is from Southern Leyte.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

LIMASAWA, Southern Leyte – The construction of a solar power plant in this historic island-municipality will bring more improvement to their locality, thus said its mayor.
The National Power Corporation (Napocor) had its groundbreaking last March for the P54 million 120 kilowatt solar power project awarded to Power Dimension Inc.
Limasawa is currently powered by a diesel power plant operated by the Napocor which now runs 24-hours a day from the 18-hours operation last year.
The diesel power plant produces 700 kW which is enough to meet the island’s power demand.
The diesel power plant is serving a total of 1,200 household-consumers through the Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative Inc.
“Hopefully, this will lower the rates on electric bills of Limasawa residents,” Mayor Melchor Petracorta said.
The town mayor added that this will also help in attracting more businessmen to invest in the island that is largely banking on tourism as alternative source of income.
Limasawa residents are mostly fishermen while some are government workers.
Tourism is the alternative source of income in the island which is known to be where the First Catholic Mass in the Orient was held by the group of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 which will have its 500 year anniversary on 2022.
Due to increasing number of tourists visiting the island, there is a good number of lodging facilities and inns established by local investors to cater on tourists’ needs resulting in the increase of electricity demand.
But the biggest contribution of the solar power plant once it starts its operation is on environmental protection, he said.
“There is no carbon emission in solar power. It reduces carbon emission so this is good for our environment,” Petracorta said.
The solar power project is estimated to be finished by September or November this year.
Aside from the solar power plant project, Limasawa is also expected to receive this year two units of 200kW and two units of 300kW generator sets as part of the Napocor’s capacity addition program and to build its own fuel oil storage tank to ensure continuous supply even during time of extreme weather conditions. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY – A candle lighting memorial activity was held last May 21 at the City Hall grounds in observance of the 35th Philippine International AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) Candlelight Memorial 2018.
Present during the activity were Department of Health (DOH) Assistant Regional Director Paula Paz Sydiongco, City Government Special Health Concerns In-Charge Dr. Gloria Fabrigas, who represented Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez, and City Health Officer Dr. Jaime Opinion, Jr.
Peers groups organized by the City Population Office also attended the activity which highlighted a film showing and a talk on the deadly pandemic.
In an update presented by Dr. Opinion, it was learned that Tacloban has been categorized as C.
The health officer also underscored the initiatives of the city government and the institutionalization of the AIDS Council.
The event was held to remember those who died of AIDS and promote awareness on the deadly disease.
The late afternoon event was spearheaded by the City Government under Mayor Romualdez in cooperation with local AIDS advocacy group REHAG. (HENRY JAMES G.ROCA/CIO)

TACLOBAN CITY – Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director General Nela Charade Puno solicited help from the law enforcement agency and local chief executives in the region in the implementation of their Consumer Protection Advocacy program.
Puno clarifies that their agency is not policing everyone but only making sure that the law is properly implemented why they are asking support from law enforcers.
“FDA is not a barrier to trade (as) our mission is to ensure the quality and safety of products and at the same time, the consumers are protected the reason why we enforce the law,” Puno said.
FDA is tapping the help of the Philippine National Police (PNP) as the lead agency in enforcing the law and the mayors who approves licenses and permits.
FDA and the PNP is implementing the Task Force D-PUNCH which stands for ‘Destroy Products Unfit for the Consumption of Humans’ which aim to minimize, if not eradicate counterfeit, unregistered, adulterated and misbranded health products in the market that pose danger to life, health and safety of the public.
For the local chief executives, the FDA is reaching out to them to disseminate the forwarded advisories intended for the public.
“I am looking forward for more collaboration and ensured public health and public safety. It is important that we are able to explain everything so that people will know the consequences if they will not follow the law,” Puno said during her speech during a gathering here on May 24.
Puno added that one of the marching orders of President Rodrigo Duterte to the FDA is to confiscate counterfeit products that poses harm to the health and safety of the users and file economic sabotage charges against the makers and producers of the bogus products.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

BORONGAN CITY-Eastern Samar State University (ESSU) expects rise in enrolment with the implementation of Republic Act No. 10931 in all campuses in Eastern Samar this school year 2018-2019.
Dr. Edmundo A. Campoto, president of ESSU, said that although they started the free tuition last year, free miscellaneous fees will be implemented this upcoming school year.
Campoto added that to avail of the free tuition and miscellaneous fees, enrolling students should pass the entrance exam.
Rebecca Macawile, 45, a mother of two college students, is happy about this project.
“This free education will help the poor families obtain higher education that could change their lives,” said Macawile.
Her children are enrolled in ESSU-Salcedo.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed into law on August 3, 2018 Republic Act No. 10931, otherwise known as the “Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act” which exempts students enrolled SUCs, LUCs and technical-vocational schools from paying tuition and other school fees.
(JNPD/SDC/PIA-E.Samar)