CAMP GENERAL VICENTE LUKBAN, CATBALOGAN CITY – A 20-minute fire fight ensued between the Scout Platoon from 78th Infantry (Warrior) Battalion and the communist terrorists at Barangay Roxas, Burauen, Leyte on August 15, 2017.
The 10 am skirmish resulted in the troops’ recovery of one back pack, one sack of rice, and subversive documents from the communist terrorists.
No casualty was reported on the government side and an undetermined number of casualties on the enemy side. The successful seizure of the enemy encampment is the result of the mutual cooperation of the villagers in the said barangay about the presence of the NPA rebels that continue to extort, recruit and harm the less fortunate.
Maj. Gen. Raul M Farnacio, commander, 8ID commended the people of Burauen for their untiring cooperation with government forces against the presence of the NPA terrorists.
Rest assured that the 8ID remains steadfast in its unending commitment to serve the people and to become one of the catalysts for peace and development in Eastern Visayas.
(PR)

TACLOBAN CITY- A four-storey building that will serve as a depository of documentations about super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ will be constructed here in the city.
The proposed building, to be known as the Philippine Center for Climate Resilience, had its ground-breaking Friday (August 18) located in Barangay Salvacion, a northern village located about 14 kms from the city center.
Leading the groundbreaking ceremony were Secretary Emmanuel de Guzman of the Climate Change Commission, officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) led by its director, Leonardo Sibbaluca, officials of the Office of Civil Defense headed by Director Edgar Posadas and city officials led by Mayor Cristina Romualdez, Vice Mayor Jerry Yaokasin and Councilor Aimee Grafil.
The structure, sitting at about 1.5 hectares which inside a protected area of the DENR, is expected to be finished within six months with an initial budget of P50 million donated by Senator Loren Legarda, a known environmental advocate.
Sec. de Guzman said that the structure will serve as a “depository of documentation of Yolanda experience.”
“We should continue to learn from the lessons of Yolanda,” he said.
The structure will also serve as a training center, capacity building and advocacy campaign on climate change.
The construction of the building was pushed by PH Haiyan Advocacy Cooperative, a non-government organization which campaigns on protecting the environment.
Mayor Romualdez said that she is thankful that the structure is to be built in Tacloban, considered as the ground zero of ‘Yolanda,’ the world’s strongest typhoon to hit inland.
“Not only you are the ground zero of Yolanda but ground zero of resilience radiating all over the country and the world,” de Guzman said.
de Guzman said that he is planning to showcase the project during a climate change summit in Bonn, Germany this November.
“This is certainly a major development and they might just extend assistance to us,” he said.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- The Tacloban City Division of the Department of Education (DepEd) will have now its official hymn.
The hymn, whose lyrics were composed by Eileen Cinco and arranged by Mary Joy Bernadas, was first heard last June 21, 2017 during DepEd’s 4th Division Management Committee (ManCom) Meeting held at the Oriental Hotel and Resort in Candahug, Palo, Leyte.
Cinco is an English head teacher at San National High School (SJNHS) while Bernadas teaches MAPEH at Leyte National High School (LNHS).
The hymn was first sung and performed by the Tacloban City Division Chorale composed of DepEd teachers and administrators in the city.
The conductor of the chorale during the launching was Bernadas who selflessly showed her music prowess during the ManCom meeting.
This writer, who is also a member of this chorale group, choreographed the said performance of the group in the ManCom meeting.
The making of the division hymn was commissioned by no less than Tacloban city schools division superintendent Dr. Thelma Cabadsan-Quitalig who showed her full support all the way until the hymn was completed and finally launched.
The launching of the hymn went smoothly as it enjoyed also the full support of Dr. Jessica P. Macawile-Abril, a MAPEH- Education Program Supervisor (EPS) of Tacloban City Division.
The hymn basically points at DepEd-Tacloban as a responsible “molder of the youth” for them to achieve excellence in whatever they do at the present and what they will pursue in the future.
The lyrics of the song also characterizes the bravery and resilience of the people of Tacloban despite all they went through the past years especially during the tragic onslaught of super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ last 2013.
Cinco, in her lyrics, obviously wanted to emphasize hope over grief after the catastrophe and tried to inculcate determination and positivity among the spirits of DepEd people in Tacloban so that they could continue to nurture the city’s youth and ultimately give back all the glory to God.
I
Molder of the youth
Fount of Love and Truth
All rest within the heart
Of DepEd Tacloban City
Excelling in the arts
Shining among the stars
The glorious achievements
Of DepEd Tacloban

II
From storms and surge
We braved the worst
With God beside, guiding
The youth of Tacloban City
From dust and dirt
We’ll rise from it all
Cradled in love by our
Almighty God our Saviour

CHORUS:
We will rise, we will shine
We’ll be strong, we are
DepEd Tacloban City
We’ll make history
Shape our people and
Make our story

We will soar high above
To God we’ll give due glory
Our young and everyone
We’ll be nurtured by DepEd Tacloban
We’ll be nurtured by DepEd Tacloban

TACLOBAN CITY- Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan has proposed for the national government to set a ‘peace fund’ for areas that are still affected by insurgency.
The peace fund will be a common fund that will be used in implementing projects intended to priority areas that are affected by conflict and insurgency, the governor, who is also the chairperson of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC), said.
“If we have a common fund, it will be easier for us to have access rather than if it is delegated to national line government agencies that sometimes takes time to release because of prioritization,” Tan explained.
The governor, however, clarified that she has nothing against national line government agencies funding and implementing projects because they can easily work with the local government units.
“The only problem is it take some time before the project is implemented by the agency and it takes away the sense of urgency,” she said.
Tan said that at least P12 billion will be needed for her proposed peace fund which will be used for funding projects that are identified by the residents.
Tan added that the amount will not only focus on funding infrastructure projects but must also include livelihood support to make the project more integrated.
During the RPOC meeting, held last August 15, the intelligence division of the 8thInfantry Division cited 33 areas in the region as affected by insurgency.
Ten of the areas are located in the province of Samar, namely, Matuguinao, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, Jiabong, Motiong, Hinabangan, Calbiga, Pinabacdao, Basey, and Marabut.
The problem of insurgency remains a top concern especially in areas that are not easily accessible or isolated resulting for residents to be easily persuaded to join rebel groups. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)

By: JOEY A. GABIETA

PALO, Leyte-Former Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho ‘Icot’ Petilla and his younger brother, Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla are the latest to abandon their previous political party to join the administration-backed PDP-Laban.
He and his younger brother took their oath as new PDP-Laban recruits before party and Senate president Koko Pimentel III last Wednesday (August 2), Petilla said.
“Unlike others, we were invited to join the party by the Senate president through (Lutgardo) ‘Lutz’ Barbo,” he said in an interview Saturday (August 5).
Barbo, a former governor of Eastern Samar and the current Senate secretary, is the vice president for Eastern Visayas of the PDP-Laban.
Petilla, prior to his switch of political affiliation, is an ally of former president Benigno Aquino who ran unsuccessfully for a Senate seat in 2016 under the then ruling Liberal Party.
The Petillas are considered to be one of the most politically influential families in Leyte who ruled the provincial seat since 1988.
Petilla, who also served as governor of Leyte until he was named as Energy Secretary in 2012, admitted that their reason for changing political allegiance is to ensure that the province will get attention and assistance from the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, whose mother is from the neighboring province of Southern Leyte.
“Politically we can survive. However, how can the province ask for assistance if we are not politically aligned with the administration? So it is a decision that is actually not only good for us but more so, for the province,” Petilla said.
As part of his job as a new PDP-Laban stalwart in Leyte, they were asked by the political leadership to recruit mayors.
Incidentally, Palo Mayor Remedios ‘Matin’ Petilla, mother of the former Cabinet secretary, has yet to join PDP-Laban.
Petilla also dismissed rumors that his joining the PDP-Laban is part of his preparation for the 2019 elections or a possible Cabinet appointment.
“My name has been floated as Energy Secretary or BSP governor. I don’t know why,” he said.
The former governor is also reported to be eyeing a congressional seat here in Leyte.

TACLOBAN CITY- At exactly 7 pm tonight, officials of Tacloban and Palo and invited guests are to light a giant lantern which will serve as among the highlights of the 50th year anniversary of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).
Here in the city, close to 7,000 people are expected to join the city government-sponsored activity that will start with a street parade and will end with the lighting of the ASEAN landmark lantern at the grounds of the City Hall.
Mayor Cristina Romualdez issued Executive Order 2017-08-066 suspending classes in all levels today.
“We are honored that Tacloban was chosen as among the sites for the lighting of the ASEAN lanterns. And we are showing our support to the ASEAN by having this activity…which will show unity among ASEAN nations,” Romualdez said.
As ASEAN turns 50 years since its creation August 8, 1967, lanterns will be lighted up in 50 chosen sites across the country with the main event to take place at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) to be lead by President Rodrigo Duterte.
The Philippines is this year’s ASEAN chair. Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar are the other member-countries of the bloc which has combined population of more than 625 million and home to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies like the Philippines.
All the 50 lanterns, made of fiberglass and designed with ASEAN logo and commissioned by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, will be lighted simultaneously at 7 pm.
Here in the region, aside from Tacloban City and Palo, similar activity will also be held in Ormoc City.
In Palo, the landmark ASEAN lantern placed at the historic MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park in Barangay Candahug, Palo.
Series of activities have also been lined up by the municipal government under Mayor Remedios ‘Matin’ Petilla before the main event will take place.
A parade called ‘walk for peace’ starting from Pag-Ibig Plaza, which is located across the municipal hall, will be held to be participated by town officials and representatives from different sectors.
To enliven the occasion, contingents coming from different municipal festivals will entertain the public.
The Tacloban and Palo occasions will end with a fireworks display. (JOEY A. GABIETA)