TACLOBAN CITY- As the city continues to experience heavy downpours, a health official reminds the public to take extra caution to avoid getting sick due to the bad weather.
Dr. Jaime Opinion Jr., city health officer, said that the cases of people, particularly children and elderly people, getting sick from cold, cough and fever notably increases during this kind of weather.
People should avoid going out but if they need to go out, they should make sure that they are properly protected like bringing with them umbrellas and other protective gears so they would not be exposed to the rain and the cold weather, Opinion said.
The public is also reminded to drink lots of water, take vitamins and to consult a doctor if they have cough for weeks especially when it is accompanied by fever.
The people are also advised to avoid walking into floods or better use rubber rain boots to avoid leptospirosis.(EDIZON CAHINDO, LNU Student Intern)

TACLOBAN CITY- Congressmen from Eastern Visayas have made a request for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) to waive the premium pay in the region due to the series of natural calamities to hit the area recently.
The region’s 12 solons, to include two party-list members from Eastern Visayas, made this request in a communication with Health Secretary Francisco Duque who is also the chairman of the Philhealth.
They cited the recent typhoons to hit the region that resulted in massive flooding and landslide incidents.
“Eastern Visayas is still recovering from the adverse impact of Typhoons Yolanda (2013) and Ruby (2014). Unfortunately, we again experienced heavy rains and severe flooding all across the region due to Tropical Depressions Urduja and Vinta in December (2017) and Typhoon Agaton in January this year,” the congressmen said on their letter to Duque.
“Most of our constituents have nothing left to pay for PhilHealth coverage, especially the poor farmers and fisherfolks affected by recent calamitous events,” they said.
According to them, free enrollment of health insurance will somehow lessen the burden of the people of the region, particularly those who are not yet members of Philhealth of their medical and health services.
To recall, when the region was pummeled by super typhoon Yolanda in 2013, Philhealth imposed its “All Can Avail” program wherein both members and non-members were able to avail health insurance benefits.
The special privilege policy was lifted on 2016.
Renato Limsiaco, Jr., regional vice president of PhilHealth in Eastern Visayas, said that they welcome this move of the congressmen saying this would be a big help to the medical needs of the people of the region, particularly those who are poor.
“We laud and support this move of our congressmen because this would mean our people, especially the poor, will now have access to medical services,” he said.
The policy, Limsiaco added, will also result in the achieving of their goal of a universal health coverage.
If this will be approved, about 650,000 people from the region who are not yet members of Philhealth could benefit this proposal.
At present, there are more than 1.93 million people of the region who are Philhealth-insured.
The signatories of the joint letter were congressmen Ben Evardone(Eastern Samar); Edgar Mary Sarmiento and Milagrosa Tan both of Samar; Edwin Ong and Raul Daza, both of Northern Samar; Rogelio Espina( Biliran); Roger Mercado(Southern Leyte);Yedda Romualdez, Henry Ong, Vicente Veloso, Lucy Torres, and Jose Carlos Cari, all from Leyte.
An Waray party-list Representative Victoria Noel and AANGAT Tayo! Representative Harlin Abayon III also signed the letter. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Chief Eduardo M. Año calls on punong barangays to ensure that no tanod under their supervision uses firearms even in the performance of their duties.
Año reminded all barangays that tanods or community brigades composed of civilian volunteers appointed by the punong barangay upon recommendation of the Barangay
Peace and Order Council are not allowed by any law to carry firearms even in maintaining peace and order in their communities.
“Bilang kayong mga punong barangay ang pumili, nagtalaga, at nangangasiwa ng inyong mga tanod, kayo rin ang may pananagutan sa paraan ng pagsasagawa ng katungkulan ng inyong mga tanod,” he says.
Año said that tanods may only use nightstick with teargas (probaton) with belt and holster, handcuff with holster, whistle, flashlight, raincoat, rain boots, small notebooks and ball pens, first aid kits, and other non-lethal gadgets.
“Bagaman mahalaga ang papel ng mga tanod sa pagtulong sa pagbabantay at pagpapanatili ng kaayusan at seguridad sa mga komunidad, kailangan pa rin pong
linawin at ipaalala na hindi sila otorisadong magdala at gumamit ng baril kahit pa ang armas ay personal nilang kagamitan at kahit pa mayroon silang permit to carry outside their residence,” he adds.
“If our barangay tanods see themselves in a potentially dangerous situation, they should seek the help of their local police officers. That’s the job of the police,” he said.
The DILG chief explained that Republic Act (RA) No. 10591 known as Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act enacted in 2012 has revoked the authority of police auxiliary units’ members such as tanods to carry firearms, which was previously allowed by Circular No. 2008-013 of the National Police Commission. “There is no longer any legal basis for arming barangay tanods,” said Año.
The DILG chief called on all local chief executives to ensure compliance with this directive and to withdraw any firearm that has been issued by them to barangay tanods.
He stressed that registered firearms of local government units (LGUs) shall only be issued to a government official or employee with a permanent plantilla position as provided in Section 5.5.2 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 10591.
Punong barangays, on the other hand, are entitled to possess and carry firearms within their territorial jurisdiction, subject to appropriate rules and regulations, as stated in Section 389 (c) of the Local Government Code but only in the performance of their peace and order functions. (PR)

LAS NAVAS, Northern Samar- Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Gilberto Cruz brought his “Lingap ng Kapulisan’ program to this remote town.
Cruz said that their visit to the town is their way of showing that the Philippine National Police (PNP) is not only for securing peace and order but also provide assistance to the people.
“Hindi po kami nagpunta dito para alamin o mag-tokhang o maging kaaway ninyo. Ang iba kasi ang tingin sa mga naka-uniporme mga kaaway, hindi ho totoo yun. Kami ho ay nandito para magkaloob sa inyo ng kaunting kaginhawaan,” Cruz said.
During the visit, dental services, optometry, medical consultation, circumcision, psychosocial support, and Philhealth membership cards were provided to the residents.
School materials and toys were also distributed to the school children.
Lt.Col Nilo Lapizar, commanding officer of the 20th Infantry Battalion based at the neighboring town of Catubig town, lauded the activity of the PNP.
Lapizar said that this initiative of the PNP under the leadership of Chief Supt. Cruz, must be reciprocated by the villagers by helping government agencies in solving the problems that have plagued their respective areas.
“Ang purpose namin dito ay makatulong sa community and at the same time, malutas ang problems at concern sa mga community. Alam din natin na itong ginagawa natin will lead the way na ang problema natin particularly sa kahirapan, sa insurgency na at least ang community marealize na ang gobyerno ninyo ay may ginagawa,” Lapizar said.
Town Mayor Minda Tan expressed her gratitude for the visit of Cruz to their municipality.
Tan said that with the services provided by the PNP personnel headed by Chief Supt. Cruz during their visit, her people was able to benefit them without shelling even a centavo.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY- In a surprise turn around, the acting general manager of the Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD) has extended his recognition to the board of directors named by City Mayor Cristina Romualdez to the said water agency.
And in doing so, Engr. Pastor Homeres was immediately appointed by the new set of board of directors to continue to hold the post he had held for more than three years now.
Homeres, who was named as the acting general manager of the board of directors appointed by Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, made known of his recognition to the new board of directors in a letter addressed to them wherein he also said that the member-consumers of the LMWD expect ‘highly’ on them.
He also issued a separate letter to the officials and members of the Leyte Metropolitan Water District Employees Union (LMWDEU) praising them for their decision in withdrawing their support to the previous members of the board.
“And with this, I am repaying you with my full support and commitment to be with you all the way,” Homeres said in his one-page letter to the workers.
The LMWDEU had also expressed their support to the board of directors named by Mayor Romualdez.
“Both the employees and the general manager have now thrown their support behind the board of directors appointed by City Mayor Cristina Romualdez,” Roberto ‘Bobby’ Muñoz, who was elected as chairman of the board of directors, said in a press conference, on Thursday said.
Aside from Muñoz, also named to the LMWD board by Mayor Romualdez were lawyers Bautista Corpin, Jr., Jenny Lyn Polistico Manibay, and Sharalee Gaspay; and Bernardita ‘Bering’ Valenzuela, concurrently the city information officer.
Polistico said that with the recognition extended to them by both Homeres and the employees, question as to their legality has been put to rest.
“We have assumed actually since December but with this recognition, there is no more issue as to who will act as board of directors but us. We are going to stabilize the situation,” Polistico Manibay said.
“People want a change and we are stepping up to that,” she added.
Polistico-Manibay also said that they are not closing the possibility that legal challenges will be hurled at them.
It was learned that the board of directors appointed by the provincial government, namely, Aldin Surpia, Teodoro de Veyra, Teresa Montubig, Alice Blas and Ilumindao Lantajo, Jr., had an emergency meeting on Friday.
As of press time, no details yet have come out as a result of this meeting.
Polistico-Manibay said that they have appointed Homeres as the acting general manager of the LMWD through a resolution they approved on January 16.
Valenzuela said that with their full assumption as members of the LMWD board, they could now help Mayor Romualdez realize her plan to provide water service to the people in the northern part of the city, particularly those residing at the various resettlement sites there.
“She has a mandate to fulfill,” she said.
The management of LMWD had been under fire mostly by member-consumers from Tacloban City due to its alleged poor service, particularly on low or lack of water service.
The assumption by these city-appointed officials was by virtue of a law giving Mayor Romualdez the authority to appoint the board of directors to the LMWD and for Tacloban having more than the majority of the number of member-consumers among its eight service areas.
Aside from Tacloban, LMWD also serves the towns of Palo, Tanauan, Sta. Fe, Tolosa, Tabon-Tabon, and Pastrana.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)