TACLOBAN CITY-The bill converting the Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU)-Dulag Satellite Campus into a regular campus has already been approved at the House of Representatives.
This was disclosed by An Waray party-list Rep. Florencio “Bem” Noel said.
House Bill 04949 which aim to convert the Dulag Satellite campus located in the municipality of Dulag, Leyte, into a regular campus is now referred to the committee on Higher and Technical Education chaired by Senator Joel Villanueva.
Noel along with Leyte 2nd District Representative Lolita “Karen” Javier authored the said bill.
“As a regular campus, EVSU-Dulag will have autonomy and will be able to offer more courses. Its conversion shall promote inclusive growth and development which will encourage the expansion of its services and facilities,” the solon said.
Moreover, the conversion would also allow the campus to be subsidized by the Commission on Higher Education (ChEd), Noel added.
More students from the towns of Dulag, Mayorga, McArthur, La Paz, Julita, and Tolosa could now be accommodated and enrolled once the satellite school become a regular campus, Noel said.
Noel added that both the House of Representatives and the Senate are hastening the approval of the bill after the ChEd said that they will stop in providing fund to the school because Commission on Audit disallows it.
“ChEd said that they will stop supporting the campus not until it becomes a regular campus under EVSU,” he said.
The bill states that once approved, aside from undergraduate courses, EVSU Dulag must also offer technical-vocational education training, and graduate programs.
At present the school offers three courses, namely, Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Bachelor of Secondary Education.
A campus administrator shall render full time service and must be appointed by the Board of Regent.
The bill also states that until such time funding for the operation and maintenance of EVSU Dulag Satellite campus is included in the annual General Appropriations Act, the municipality of Dulag shall provide the necessary amount in the initial implementation of the law.
EVSU Dulag campus, formerly Leyte Institute of Technology Dulag Campus, become part of EVSU in 2000.
Prior to the bill of Noel and Javier, in the 17th Congress, former An Waray Representative Victoria Isabel Noel also filed the bill the convert EVSU Dulag as a regular campus.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office VIII through its North Leyte Field Office awarded to nine (9) municipalities of the second district of Leyte Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) funds amounting to a total of P24,160,731.00 last February 5, 2020 at Haiyan Resort Hotel in Tanauan, Leyte.
Rep. Lolita Karen T. Javier of the 2nd district of Leyte graced the turn-over ceremony together with DOLE Regional Director Yahya A. Centi and NLFO Officer-in-Charge Norman L. Uytico. Mayors of the recipient municipalities were likewise present to personally receive the checks.
The following municipalities are the recipients of the TUPAD funds: Jaro, Dulag, Capoocan, Julita, Pastrana, Barugo, Tunga, Dagami and Burauen. A total of 5,375 disadvantaged workers from the said municipalities are to benefit from the emergency employment assistance. These workers will be employed for the implementation of projects which will include declogging of canals and clean up drive in their respective municipalities.
Director Centi in his opening remarks committed to remain relentless in pursuing the mandate of DOLE.
“As your fellow public servant, I assure you that the government is doing its part in sending help where help is needed. We at DOLE are working so hard for all of you and this TUPAD program is just one of DOLE’s ways to extend assistance to the community and eventually pursue our given mandate”, said Director Centi.
Meanwhile, Rep.Javier, aside from expressing her sincere thanks to DOLE for the strong commitment to assist the second district of Leyte, likewise emphasized that she will continue to remain dedicated for the good of her fellow Leyteños.
“I would like to thank DOLE for being so active in helping us have this TUPAD projects come to reality. It is indeed comforting to know that we have this kind of partnership centered on delivering excellent service. As your representative, I would like to inform you that mañana habit is not in our vocabulary. We will work together for the good of my fellow Leyteños”, said Javier.
TUPAD is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for a minimum period of 10 days, but not to exceed a maximum of 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.
(NORMA RAE S. COSTIMIANO with reports from GEMMA D. DE LA CRUZ)

Still, DOH-8 remain vigilant

TACLOBAN CITY- A bit of good news from the Department of Health here in the region: the number of persons suspected to have the coronavirus disease 2019(Covid-19) in the region is now down to just one person.
And she appears to be recovering from her cough and colds, the health department said.
Dr. Minerva Molon, DOH-8 regional director, said that the previous 15 patients under investigation (PUIs) from the region have already been discharged from their confinement.
All the swab samples taken from the 15 PUIs, two of them were American nationals, turned out to be negative.
“This is a good news but we are not letting our guards down. We will remain with our monitoring,” she said.

According to Molon, the only PUI case of the region involved a 25-year old woman who is from Samar province and works in Jiangsu, China.
She arrived to the country for a vacation on Jan.30 but on Feb.11, she was confined after experiencing mild sore throat, cough and colds.
Dr. Molon said she hopes that the swab samples taken from the woman would turn out to be negative just like the previous PUIs.
The health regional director added that though they are only monitoring a single case, their office continue with their coordination with other government agencies, hospitals, and local government units down to the barangay levels to ensure that Eastern Visayas would remain to be Covid-19 free.
She also urged the public to always observe personal hygiene like frequent handwashing and proper cough etiquette saying these are still the best way for one not to get the virus.
“I am calling the people of Eastern Visayas to cooperate. In such trying times, we should not let our fears overwhelmed us and cause us to over-react. We need to work together,” Molon said.(JOEY A. GABIETA)