About 1,300 seedlings were planted by an estimated 600 volunteers led by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the 2019 Oplan BroadcasTreeing Project held on September 28, 2019 in Barangay 98, Camansihay, Tacloban City.
The level and quality of involvement of participants was an improvement from the previous years, remarked Forester Jennifer Lamoste of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Palo, Leyte.
“The activity this year was participated by more sectors and many closely followed the instructions on how to plant the seedlings properly,” she said.
The seedlings consisted of 1,000 yakal, bayok and bunglas varieties from DENR Regional Office, 200 similar hardwood seedlings from CENRO Palo and 100 Pili seedlings from Department of Agriculture Regional Office.
A short program preceded the tree planting to ensure that participants understood and appreciated the importance of ensuring that the seedlings would survive.
Punong Barangay Alejandro Reataza Jr. in his welcome remarks thanked participants for helping populate the hilly forest in their barangay.
On the other hand, the messages from DILG-8 Regional Director Artemio Caneja, KBP Eastern Visayas chairman Danilo Requiez, DMO III Alexander Casco (representing DENR Regional Director Atty. Crizaldy Barcelo) and Camansihay Upland Developers Association (CUDA) president Adam Esmerez centered on the need for sustained aftercare as part of the shift toward tree growing.
KBP Member stations that were represented include DYDR/PRTV 12 Tacloban; DYVL Aksyon Radyo; RMN Tacloban; Bombo Radyo Tacloban; DYTM Love Radio; DYCJ One FM; Magik FM; IBC-6/DYMP; DYFE FM; ABS-CBN Channel 2 Tacloban and MOR Tacloban.
Among the groups which joined this year’s Oplan Broadcastreeing included the Philippine National Police Regional Police Office; Tacloban City Police Office; DENR Regional and CENRO-Palo offices; DILG Region 8; Department of Agriculture; 93rd Infantry Battalion and Army 546th Engineering Construction Battalion both under the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army; Police officers undertaking the Officers Basic Course of the Philippine Public Safety College; Philippine Information Agency; Bureau of Fire Protection; Junior Jaycees; Tau Gamma Phi; University of the Philippines Runggiyan; Alpha Phi Omega; Philippine Red Cross; barangay officials and residents of Barangay 98 Camansihay, Tacloban; CUDA; Kilusang Pagbabago Tacloban City Chapter; RADNET 5; and Alpha Mu Omega.
Oplan Broadcastreeing owes its start to a 2011 memorandum of agreement between KBP and DILG to support the National Greening Program.
Since then over 36,000 trees have been planted in Eastern Visayas through the activity. Oplan Broadcastreeing has been held annually in the region except in 2014, the year after Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ struck. (MYLES JOSEPH E. COLASITO, LGOO V/ Regional Information Officer-designate)
KBP, DILG lead Eastern Visayas Oplan Broadcastreeing 2019
Northern Samar town council passes ordinance complying Pres. Duterte’s order to remove street obstructions
SAN ISIDRO, Northern Samar- In support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to clear roads from illegal structures and constructions, the Sangguniang Bayan here headed by Vice Mayor and presiding officer Conrado Avila Sr. held a special session on September 25 and unanimously approved an ordinance prohibiting any form of street obstructions.
But before the measure was tackled, a public hearing presided by Councilor and majority floor leader Joel Sampayan was first conducted attended by representatives coming from different sectors and offices.
To recall, Interior Sec. Eduardo Año issued Memorandum Circular No. 2019-121 calling all local officials to exercise their powers to reclaim public roads which are being used for private purposes and rid them of illegal structures.
Aside from passing the anti-obstruction ordinance, the council also approved several measures during their September 23 special session.
Among the measures enacted were a resolution authorizing Mayor Ferdinand Avila to enter a memorandum of agreement with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for a financial assistance loan for employees of the local government unit; resolution granting San-Vic Cockpit Arena to hold a ‘pintakasi’ scheduled on Sept. 28, Oct. 4 and 5, 2019 as an aid to Samahang Magsasaka ng Palanit and a resolution granting six new applicants to operate motorized tricycles within the municipality.
In his Committee report, Councilor Marlon Amor, who chair the committee on transportation, Utilities and franchises, revealed that since July to September this year, around 106 motorized tricycles were reported to have their franchises in the municipality.
(PETER D. PAREDES)
Government employee faces rape, act of lasciviousness complaints against minors
In Biliran
CAIBIRAN, Biliran – A government employee of this town is being accused to have raped or sexually molested several minor children.
The employee, who will not be named in this story, however, was quick to deny the allegations against him as per advice of his lawyer.
The Leyte Samar Daily Express visited the alleged suspect at the Biliran Provincial Hospital in Naval town where he is confined after his blood pressure shoot up.
But one of the parents of his alleged victim, a 14-year old girl, claimed that his daughter was raped by the suspect.
According to the father of the victim, whose name will not also be divulged being a minor, her daughter was sexually molested by the suspect in several occasions.
The first incident said to have happened sometime last year inside the house of the suspect when the young victim was cleaning his house.
In that instance, the suspect touched the private parts of the victim, who was with her siblings.
Then another similar incident happened during a wake where the suspect again molested the minor by touching her private parts.
And the worst thing happened September of this year when the victim, who was then passing at the suspect’s house, grabbed her and forced her to enter his house where she was said to have been raped by him.
Based on a medico-legal report presented by the father during an interview, laceration on the victim’s private parts and presence of spermatozoa were seen.
The 34-year old father of the young victim said that they would press their complaint against the suspect.
He also alleged that the suspect has also committed sexual violence involving minors.
“I am asking other victims to come out and report to the police what they experienced from the hands of the suspect,” he said.
He said that due to trauma she had experienced, he asked his daughter to stop going to school.
Chief PLt. Vic Viros, the town police chief, said that two other minor victims of the suspect came to their station to report the sexual violation committed to them by the suspect.
The Provincial Prosecutor’s Office based in Naval filed charges of acts of lasciviousness against the suspect last Friday (Sept.27) and also received complaints from the two other minor victims.
“Based on the testimony of the victim, there is sufficient information to file rape charges against the suspect,” PLt Viros said,disagreeing the findings of the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.
The Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office in Caibiran (MSWDO) provided assistance to the victims while the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) gave an assurance that they would provide all the necessary assistance to the victims’ while their cases are pending.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Residents in resettlement sites receive services from ‘I Love Tacloban Barangayan’
TACLOBAN CITY- About 1,800 residents from the four relocation sites in the northern part of the city received pails and free services from the city government of Tacloban’s Barangayan under Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez held at St. Francis covered multi-purpose building on September 27.
Mayor Romualdez led the distribution of pails with covers and was accompanied by former senator Bongbong Marcos, who likewise donated medicines for the Barangayan activity that benefited residents from St Francis Village, Greendale, Guadalupe, and Ridgeview resettlement sites.
In his speech, the chief executive reiterated his call for the public to do more in the campaign against dengue though cases have decreased in Tacloban City.
“Nalilipay naman ako na at least nabawasan pero inuulit ko lang kapag ang anak niyo may nararamdaman, itakbo niyo agad sa Health Center para maasikaso namin agad,” said Mayor Romualdez.
Meanwhile, the former senator thanked the volunteers and government employees who rendered their services in the Barangayan, which is the second conducted by the local government since Mayor Romualdez assumed office last July.
Marcos also mentioned that they tried to make the outreach program as a one-stop-shop to cater to the needs of the people.
“We try to do as much as possible kasi karamihan sa kanila malalayo, may trabaho, Hindi makapunta sa hospital kahit may sakit na. So instead of waiting for them to go to the hospital, we bring the doctors and the medicines to them,” he said.
The basic services given by LGU were free veterinary and grooming services, live birth registration, medicines as well as free vaccination, medical and dental consultation.
Also in attendance during the Barangayan were Councilors Evangeline Esperas and Leo Bahin.- C. MERIN/CIO)
Tourism group pushes ‘Mice’ in Eastern Visayas
(Photo courtesy of Rhoel Ladera)
TACLOBAN CITY- The Eastern Visayas Tourism Association (Evta) launched its “Mice and More Forum” to promote the region as the next destination for prime Meetings, incentives, conference exhibition (Mice) on Saturday (Sept.28).
Reynaldo ‘Pocholo” Franco, Evta president, said the Department of Tourism (DOT) in the region initially identified Tacloban, Ormoc, and Calbayog, as Mice cities.
“These cities should really focus their tourism investments as Mice destinations,” Franco said.
To coincide with their first anniversary celebration at the Oriental Leyte in Palo town, Evta officials and members mapped out their competitive, incentivized and curated Mice packages according to Mice value chain.
“We see opportunity from Mice, even when it is regarded as medium size. We believe all of us will earn from it, not just one sector,” said Karen Tiopes, DOT regional director.
“Eastern Visayas is the heart of the Philippines. It is accessible by air, sea, and land. We recall the Haiyan (super typhoon Yolanda) rebirth. We had to pause. After the pause, we had several even huge Mice events. Among the most memorable was the hosting of Pope Francis,” she said.
Tiopes maintained that the region has been hosting Visayas-wide conferences, international conference, sports events, and festivals, among others.
“We’re learning Mice. When we talk about Mice, it’s always about venues and accommodations,” said Tiopes as she presented the inventory of accredited venues and accommodations in the region.
Tiopes said her office is strictly imposing primary enterprises to include Mice facilities.
“This shows our capacity in Mice,” she said.
Meanwhile, Franco said they are expecting to increase the current 70 members in their group as tourism stakeholders now that they know the benefits from being an Evta member.
“Mice is a very fast-growing segment of tourism. Its projected value by 2025 is $1.5 trillion globally. The trend of Mice globally is moving to Asia and the Pacific. It’s one of the most inclusive industry. The ripple effect of Mice is wide,” said Tourism Undersecretary Arturo Boncato Jr.
“Why invest in Mice? It has high potential, high value, and great opportunities,” added Boncato as he shared the success story of Mice in Iloilo City in his speech on Mice and More, Sustainable, and Inclusive.
The official said that Mice growth in the Philippines is relevant, adding that almost 60,000 participants were recorded for the first half of the year.
Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) president Jose Clemente III added that what the region needs to do is invest on infrastructure, marketing, education and training, creativity, be on the lookout for opportunities, and constant dialogue with the DOT and its Tourism Promotions Board (TPB).
“We’re trying to create more responsive programs in partnership with the private sector. In TPB, we are committed to bid, bid, bid for events to be held in the Philippines,” said Ma. Carla Remedios Miranda, acting head of TPB’ Mice department.
In her speech, Miranda inspired the Evta and the officials in the region to create “inspiring incentives program and unforgettable experiences” to travel to the Philippines.
(RONALD O. REYES)
Sen. Go to ask Pres. Duterte to ban 2 US senators from entering the country
In the occasion of the 118th Balangiga Encounter anniversary
BALANGIGA, Eastern Samar-In an apparent tit-for-tat move, Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said that he would ask President Rodrigo Duterte to ban US senators to enter the country who earlier sought in prohibiting Filipino officials who were involved in the detention of opposition Senator Leila de Lima to come to the US.
Go, a most trusted ally of the President, issued this statement in a speech during the 118th anniversary of Balangiga Encounter held Saturday (Sept.29) at the town’s gymnasium.
According to Go, the act of US Senators Patrick Leahy and Richard Durbin was a clear “interference to the internal affairs” of the Philippines.
“I condemned this act of handful US senators for seeking to ban officials of the Philippine government involved in the detention of Sen.Leila de Lima entering from the US. This is an affront to our sovereignty and to our ability to govern ourselves,”Go said in his speech.
“I will suggest to President Duterte to also ban these senators in entering our country for interfering our internal affairs,”the senator added.
Sen. Go said that de Lima is detained by virtue of a “lawful order by an independent court” whose decision was affirmed by the Supreme Court.
The two US senators earlier passed a resolution seeking the prohibition banning US officials involved in the detention of de Lima, a known staunch critic of Duterte.
“Hindi tayo nanhihimasok sa kanila.Ngayon, nakikialam sila,”the senator said in a brief interview who maintains that the senator is not a political prisoner.
Meantime, Sen.Go said that he welcomes the return of the three bells artifacts to the town after being deposited in a US Naval base.
He mainly credited the President for the return of the bells to the town last December 15, 2018.
This year’s commemorative program is the first time ever that the people of Balangiga marks the historic event considered to be the single defeat by the American forces during the Filipino-American war.
For Enrique Valenzuela,15, said that while he could not understand the historical meaning on the return of the bells, he is still happy to see it personally.
“I’m just happy to see the bells myself,” the Grade 8 student said.
The bells are temporarily placed at the garden of the St. Lawrence the Martyr church.
For Eulogia Amano, grandniece of Captain Valeriano Abanador who led the uprising, she now feel “relax.”
“When the bells were returned last year here in our hometown, we were happy and overwhelmed. Now, we feel relax because they are now with us forever,”the 80 year old retired school principal said.
Go, joined by Eastern Samar Gov.Ben Evardone and Rep.Ma.Fe Abunda, offered wreath to the statue of Abandor.
Earlier, the Church honored the 113 locals who were part of the uprising 118 years ago by mentioning their names one by one during a Holy Mass held at 6 am.
The 73 American soldiers who also died in the uprising were also mentioned in the same occasion.
(JOEY A. GABIETA/ROEL T. AMAZONA)