Also a former PDEA employee

TACLOBAN CITY- A son of a former town mayor in Leyte was recently arrested by authorities during a buy-bust operation that resulted in the seizure of methamphetamine worth P2.5 million.
Arrested was Julius Katangkatang, 35, a former employee of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) during the August 29 operation outside a hotel in the city at about 8:45 in the evening.
Katangkatang, who went AWOL (absence without leave) as chief of PDEA-8’ dangerous drugs regulatory office, is the son of former Jaro, Leyte mayor, Floro Katangkatang, Sr.
His elder brother, Floro Jr., works as PDEA agent.
Alex Tablado, chief operation officer of PDEA, said that a member of the Tacloban City Police Office acted as buyer-poseur during the anti-drug operation against Katangkatang at Barangay 33, this city.
“We have to use a city police as the buyer. Otherwise, the transaction would not prosper considering that he (Katangkatang) knew us,” Tablado said.
Seized from the suspect were 300 grams of methamphetamine estimated with a street value of P2.5 million, the biggest haul so far for this year of anti-illegal drug operations in Eastern Visayas.
Also confiscated from Katangkatang was the marked money of P10,000.
The suspect is now detained at the Tacloban City Police and charged with selling and possession of prohibited drugs.
Meantime, Tablado clarified that the father of the suspect and his elder brother are not connected to any illegal drug activity.
“We are also conducting our investigation as to where he sourced the prohibited drug and when he exactly started this illegal activity,” he said.
Katangkatang, who worked with PDEA for seven years, went AWOL last February of this year and was dropped from its roll last August 1.
Since the start of the year, PDEA was able to seize 410 grams of shabu valued at P2 million and arrested 726 people.
(JOEY A.GABIETA/JAZMIN BONIFACIO)

TACLOBAN CITY- About 66 persons with disabilities (PWDs) and their families received livelihood ‘starter kits’ from the city government through Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez on Tuesday(August 29) at the Tacloban City Training Center, as part of the local government’s ongoing livelihood program for the vulnerable sectors of the city.
Identified by the City Social Welfare and Development Office and the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO), the target beneficiaries have earlier attended a free training on food processing for 2 to 3 days and one week on mat and rug making facilitated by the Cristina’s Learn and Earn Program and a partner training center.
The distributions of beneficiaries per livelihood training were as follows: meat processing-33; banana and sweet potato chips making -25; and mat and rug weaving -22.
The beneficiaries who all came from the northern barangays received sewing machines and impulse sealers from the chief executive to help them start a sustainable source of income in the north resettlement sites.
Prior to the distribution, beneficiaries who have undergone training on food processing also received raw materials and cooking utensils from the city government.
Mayor Romualdez said that the provision of livelihood assistance to the vulnerable sector, especially those coming from the northern barangays is a priority project of her administration.
She added that the initiative is aimed at providing the marginalized sector access to sustainable livelihood opportunities so they can start anew in the resettlement sites.
The project was funded by a grant secured by the livelihood cluster of the city government from the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bottom Up Budgeting Program amounting to P2 million.
The cluster composed of the CSWDO, the Cristina’s Learn and Earn Program and City Cooperative Livelihood Development and Livelihood Assistance Office (CCDLAO) and other city departments was created to provide livelihood opportunities for the vulnerable sectors.
Also present during the awarding of livelihood assistance were CCDLAO Chief Ruena Mate and City Social Welfare Officer Remedios Buna.
Meanwhile, CSWDO Chief Buna announced that the city government will soon be implementing a group capital assistance project for PWDs and vulnerable women. – HENRY JAMES G. ROCA/CIO, Photos by Tim Canes/CMO)

TACLOBAN CITY- The Manila Amity Lions Club together with Tacloban City Lions Club International District 301-B2 signed a memorandum of agreement last August 25 with the school administration of Sta. Elena Elementary School (SEES) with their Parents and Teacher Association for the Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF) of a feeding program for undernourished students of the said school in Barangay Sta. Elena, this city.
The LCIF Grant provided the P75,000 funding for this feeding program that will start this month and is to end by March of next year.
Based on the program, 26 students of the SEES, particularly from Kinder up to Grade 4 and identified among the severely malnourished children, are to be given nutritious meals consisting of hot chicken porridge with eggs.
Ruth Chua, past president of Manila Amity Lions Club, said that at the end of almost seven months program, these severely malnourished children will have an improved and better physical condition.
“We check the nutritional status of Sta. Elena Elementary School and we find out that there are 26 wasted and severely wasted students,” Chua said.
“After arranging the menu and cost of the program, I talked with the past president of Tacloban City Lions Club if the club is willing to work with me. And then I applied for a grant to Lions Club International telling them I want to help the 26 malnourished kids. Luckily, my request was approved,” Chua added.
After seven months, Chua said that they will check if there are weight gains among the kids; improve class performance and less absence in school because they are less sickly.
“That is a way to sell your program. You must have parameters to measure your success,” Chua said.
“I have a menu cycle and each meal must have a source of carbohydrates (rice or pasta/noodles), protein (fish/ chicken/ pork/ egg/ malunggay) and vitamins and minerals (vegetables/fruits), decent/ nutrition meals,” she added.
In connection to this, the Tacloban City Lions Club will conduct a visit twice a month during feeding session wherein a picture documentation of feedings will be submitted to Manila Amity Lions Club.
The LCIF empowers clubs to implement programs that address great needs of communities with the understanding that preparing the youth is preparing for the future. The LCIF supports services that help provide better health and better education for them.
On the other hand, the Manila Amity Lions Club together with Tacloban City Lions Club International District 301-B2 is very thankful for the grant given by LCIF for a joint feeding program that will benefit 26 students of SEES.
(RYAN GABRIEL LLOSA ARCENAS)