TACLOBAN CITY – At least nine subsections of the P7.9 billion storm surge protection road heightening and tide embankment project are now ongoing, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has reported.
The ongoing construction under section 4 covers 7.80 kilometers of the seawall in some parts of the San Jose district in this city; and Candahug, Macarthur Memorial Landing National Park, Baras, and Cogon villages in Palo town.
The national government had set aside P2.38 billion for the nine subsections.
The four-meter wide structure is designed as a bicycle lane, according to DPWH Regional Director Edgar Tabacon in an interview.
The DPWH divided the project into six sections with 30 subsections. Other sections have not yet started due to ongoing detailed engineering, feasibility, alignments, and public consultations.
“For sections 1 and 2, there are proposals to make the tide embankment as an alternative road. It’s not yet approved because we are considering the technical, social, environmental and economic aspects,” Tabacon told PNA.
The infrastructure agency will bid out within this year the P700 million for section 6 in Tanauan town. Bidded out earlier was the P1.2 billion for some parts of sections 5 and 6.
The project also tagged as Leyte’s “Great Wall” was supposed to prioritize the coastal communities from Tacloban City Astrodome to San Jose district but it was not pushed through pending the relocation of families within the danger zones.
The 27.3-kilometer project stretches from Barangay Diit in Tacloban to Brgy. Cabuynan in Tanauan town. Sections 1 to 3 are in Tacloban, section 4 are the coastal villages of Tacloban and Palo, section 5 are some areas in Palo and Tanauan, and section 6 in Tanauan town.
The project will protect 33.7 square meters area of properties and 33,185 houses and buildings.
The four-meter high structure was pushed through by the previous Aquino administration after the 2013 storm surges wipe out neighborhoods in Leyte province in the aftermath of super typhoon ‘Yolanda’.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

Aside from helping fishermen in the area

CABUCGAYAN, Biliran- Residents of this village and nearby areas earn income out of protecting mangrove areas aside from ensuring their place from possible storm surge.
Town Mayor Edwin Masbang told Leyte Samar Daily Express in an interview that the mangrove protection in his town showcases the blending of environmental protection and the appreciation of nature with ecotourism, livelihood and poverty alleviation in this municipality.
Practically it is like a “mangrove gardening” with a blend of environmental protection and livelihood, he said.
The style of mangrove protection in sitio Naga, Rawis Villa Corro of Barangay Looc, fondly called by the residents as ‘boardwalk,’ demonstrates that environmental protection and conservation can go hand in hand with livelihood undertakings to uplift the depressed socio-economic conditions of the people in the area.
He said about 100 fishermen in the area are benefiting the mangrove protection program.
The mayor claims that the people in the area find their livelihood as the mangrove areas are now a tourist attraction of the town.
“An average of 5,000 local and foreign tourists are now visiting the area every week to enjoy swimming and the ambiance of the mangrove areas including its natural setting. The place offers the tourist for relaxation, communion with nature, enjoyment and a unique experience one can observe with nature and the picturesque view of the area,” Masbang said.
The rise of the ecotourism industry encourages him to work on improving their new tourist attraction by putting up facilities.
The new improved project was unveiled by Mayor Masbang last January 8, 2017, with a 300-meter boardwalk that traverses to the sea passing through mangrove areas wherein everyone can enjoy the floating boardwalk experience.
Presently, the project with a mud crab production in the area has cottages, a restaurant and has boating services for the tourists to enjoy the attractive and picturesque view of nature. (RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

PALO, Leyte- The Saint Paul School of Professional Studies (SPSPS) continues to be one of the country’s top notch schools, particularly in the field of accountancy.
This was disclosed by its president Erwin Vincent Alcala who said that the school is also fast emerging as choice school in Law and real estate management.
Alcala also revealed that the SPSPS has partnered with some well-known universities in the world like the Seisen University in Tokyo, Japan and even foreign governments like Canada in conducting research.
The school president also said that they were also contracted by the Leyte Metropolitan Water District for its human resource plan.
SPSP will also partner with the De la Salle University and Environmental and Climate Change Institute in training higher education institutions in the region on disaster preparedness due to climate change, Alcala said.
Alcala said that he still envisions to see SPSPS become a world-class academic institution by producing world-class professionals imbued with the ideals of Saint Paul, giving back, living up to society’s expectations on environmentally-conscious and socio-economic responsive academic instruction, development research and community service.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

LAVEZARES, Northern Samar – About five men from this town were detained and facing charges for illegally cutting coconut lumbers.
The suspects, Mario Singler, Ruben Mauno, Albert Permas, Fernando Banjawan and Domingo Gega were arrested by the members of the local police led by provincial director, in an officer-in-charge capacity, S/Supt. Felix Diloy, while transporting the illegally sewn lumbers.
Seized from the suspects were 157 pieces of illegally cut coconut lumbers with an estimated value of P16,200.
It was learned that the suspects failed to produce a document allowing them to cut and transport the seized items.
The hot items were delivered to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) for safe keeping and evidence against the suspects.
The elf truck, used by the suspects as their delivery vehicle, was also confiscated by the local police during the September 3 incident.
The suspects were arrested in Barangay Libis, this town.
They will be charged for violation of Republic Act 10593, otherwise known as the ‘Regulation of the Cutting of Trees.’ (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY-The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Leyte will start monitoring prices of ‘noche buena’ products starting this October in preparation for the upcoming Christmas season.
Prices on noche buena products such as hams, fruit cocktails, and other processed food, will be monitored by the DTI to ensure that there is no overpricing in the market as the Christmas seasons is fast approaching.
Araceli Larraga, DTI-Leyte chief of the consumers’ welfare division, said that the prices of these products should not exceed the suggested retail price (SRP).
Larraga advises the public to report stores with overpriced noche buena products to their office. Stores caught overpricing will be given a show cause order to explain why their prices are higher than the SRP.
No cases of overpricing were reported during the same season last year, Larraga said.
The Department of Agriculture (DA), on the other hand, assured the public that chicken and other poultry products is enough to supply the demand of the region during the season.
This was stated by agriculturist Dioscoro Gasatan who said that the supply of chicken and other livestock products in the region are sufficient to address the need of the consumers.
According to Gasatan, it is more probable that prices of vegetables during the season may increase due to low production in the region. The department also conducts price monitoring two times every week. (MARWAH JAILANI, LNU Student Intern)