BORONGAN CITY-The Commission on Election (Comelec) Maydolong gave hair ties as freebies to all-female registrants on the Special Registration for Women and Young Girls as a token to mark women’s month.
A discount card from a popular beauty care center was also given as a special prize to the first registrant of the said event.
According to Remmie Vivian Accion, Comelec officer of Maydolong, the giving of tokens was an initiative of their office to urge people to register especially women who are qualified to vote in this coming national elections.
Accion said that the special registration was done for three days, from March 9 until March 11.
“Our office will also conduct a satellite registration to barangays to ensure that every qualified voter can register and the registration will last until September 30, 2021,” Accion added.
Accion stated that their office will only conduct registration on Tuesdays until Saturdays.
Every Monday is the disinfection day of their office to ensure the safety of their clients and employees.
Those who will register for the first time, they will need a birth or baptismal certificate.
Those who have already voted on the SK Election will not need to register anymore.
Their office also accepts clients who need a transfer of registration, change of status, and verification of the registration status if active or inactive.
The town of Maydolong has more than ten thousand voters.
(nbq/rdt / PIA E.SAMAR)
Comelec-Maydolong gives freebies to female registrants on women’s month special registration
First PRC saliva test in Southern Leyte yields 6 COVID-19 negative results
MAASIN CITY- Six out of seven clients of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) tested negative of COVID-19 while one was rejected after undergoing the first saliva RT PCR test in Southern Leyte.
According to Southern Leyte Chapter Administrator Jonas Maco, the seven clients submitted themselves for the saliva RT PCR test at PRC – Abgao Gym in Maasin City in the afternoon of March 10, 2021.
All the saliva samples collected were shipped out safely to Cebu via Hilongos on board Gabisan Roble ship in the evening. Upon arrival in Cebu at 4 o’clock early morning, it was immediately received at the PRC Molecular laboratory for further processing.
At 11 p.m. on March 11, the results were forwarded to concerned individuals and/or offices, Maco explained.
Six out of seven results turned out negative while one sample was rejected due to the presence of phlegm inside the container and was endorsed to concerned Red Cross Chapter for repeat testing.
For the first batch of clients, who were bound to travel to places like Cebu, Bohol and Aklan, all sought the saliva test at the local Philippine Red Cross testing center.
The provincial government in Bohol widely honored the PRC saliva test, as gleaned from the Bohol Island News shared by Chapter Administrator Maco.
Each test costs P2,000, he added.
PRC local chapter recently launched in the province earlier this month the first Saliva test for COVID-19 across Eastern Visayas region. It was formally held last March 3, 2021 in Maasin City.
He further said that a minimum of 50 collected samples will be transported to PRC Cebu Molecular lab once a week.
The validity of the result is 72 hours or three days from the date of the certification, he said.
For more inquiry, PRC Southern Leyte can be reached through CP number 09171244718, he said.
(ldl/esg/PIA8 SoLeyte)
3 Biliran towns now ready to accept tourists again; health minimum standards need to be followed by guests
TACLOBAN CITY – After a year since closing its borders to all visitors, the provincial government of Biliran has greenlighted for the grandular reopening of its tourism destinations.
This was confirmed by provincial tourism officer Jun Oliva who said that tourists who will visit the towns of Kawayan, Almeria and Maripipi, the three towns which are among areas in the province that agreed to reopen their tourism sites, have to strictly follow all the health minimum standards during their stay.
Almeria is home to major waterfalls like the Ulan-Ulan, Bagongbong, and Recoletos Waterfalls and its versions of rice terraces located in the villages of Sampao and Iyusan.
In Kawayan town, its major tourist attractions include the Busai Falls, Masongsong spring swimming pool, and the Tingkasan Bat Cave.
Sambawan Island, a major tourist attraction of Maripipi, however, will start to welcome tourists beginning April 10.
“All incoming travelers will undergo verification and health screening at the border checkpoint, after which the tourist assistance center (in each town) will assist them,” Oliva said.
At the border checkpoint, tourists will undergo clinical and exposure assessment.
Tourists are required to wear face masks and face shields while undergoing the process then they will have to present their valid identification card.
Foreign tourists who will be visiting the province will have to present a negative RT-PCR test taken two days before their arrival.
Those with symptoms will be prohibited from entering Biliran while those who are asymptomatic will be advised to proceed to Step 2 process which is filling up an arrival form at the Tourism Assistance Center.
The tourists will also be requested to present proof of hotel booking or sponsorship of a homeowner where they will be staying.
Those who do not have accommodation will be assisted by tourism personnel to book in a facility accredited by the Department of Tourism.
After their visit to the province, tourists are also required to visit the tourism assistance center to inform, and to properly record their departure.
They may also provide feedback and suggestions to what they experience and observe during their visit in the island province.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Tacloban hosts a 10-day training on community waste composting
TACLOBAN CITY-To strengthen the institutional capacities of local government units (LGUs) in composting community waste and to reduce farmers’ reliance on commercial fertilizers, agriculturists, and representatives from different provinces in the region had a series of hands-on training in this city.
The training on Capacity Enhancement on the Operations of Composting Facility for Biodegradable Waste (CFBW) conducted at the city’s Materials Recovery Facility, was spearheaded by Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center 8, in partnership with Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), an attached agency of Department of Agriculture, and the local government through City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Head Jonathan Hijada, who facilitated the demonstration on the processing and packaging of fertilizers during the actual session.
Meantime, BSWM Region 12 Coordinator Leolito D. Siase, who likewise graced the activity, was met with evident eagerness and enthusiasm by the participating LGUs as he talked on the composting process, noting “to learn this will help improve and promote the organic farming system and will alleviate the burden of buying commercial fertilizers that are expensive and detrimental to the environment.”
Siase was also joined by other BSWM personnel led by Area Coordinator Armando Arcamo.
Since the program implementation in 2018, a total of 57 LGUs in Region 8 have inked in promoting organic farming, in support of food security measures, especially during this pandemic.
Meanwhile, the said face-to-face training which started Wednesday (March 10), is limited only to 16 participants per day, to observe the proper health protocols, and will last until March 19, 2021.
(TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
Calbayog city police chief, others sacked
In the wake of the killing of Mayor Aquino
TACLOBAN CITY- The chief of police of Calbayog City was relieved from his post in the aftermath on the killing of Mayor Ronaldo Aquino.
The relief of Police Col. Neil Montaño was announced by PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Sunday (March 14.)
In a statement, Eleazar said that the order is with the concurrence of the Chief PNP, Police General Debold Sinas who is on leave .
Eleazar said that the action is in connection with the incident in March 8 which resulted in the death of Mayor Ronaldo Aquino and five other people, including three police personnel and at the same time, the irresponsible conduct of his intelligence officer in relation to the letter request to the local court.
He added that these two unfortunate incidents are currently under investigation and PLtCol Montaño was ordered relieved for command responsibility.
Eleazar further informed that PLtCol. Montaño will be replaced by PLtCol Rodolfo Albotra while Police Major Ruel Burlat, on the other hand, will be designated as the new chief of intelligence unit, to replace PLt Fernando Calabria Jr. who was also relieved from his post effective March 12.
Aside from PLtCol Montaño and PLt Calabria, nine other Police Non-Commissioned Officers (PNCOs) of the Calbayog CPS were also relieved and were reassigned to Samar Provincial Police Office to undergo refresher seminar he added.
Eleazar said that the relief of these officers and the designation of their replacements were also based on the recommendation of the Regional Director, Police Regional Office 8, Police Brigadier General Ronaldo De Jesus.
“This reorganization is intended not only to improve the investigation and intelligence capacity of the Calbayog City Police Station in the light of the two incidents that happened but also to infuse new ideas and strategies on peace and order with the deployment of new police officers in the area” Eleazar in a statement said.
The order includes the designation of PMaj Marino Estoño as the new company commander of the Calbayog City-based 1st Samar Provincial Mobile Forces Company, which was also recommended by PBGen De Jesus.
It was learned that PMaj Estoño has just finished his commando course and Eleazar expects that his deployment in Calbayog City will calm the tension and address security apprehensions of the local residents as a result of the incident involving Mayor Aquino.
“We are also continuously conducting the needs assessment for the Calbayog CPS to improve its investigation, intelligence and operational capabilities through PBGen De Jesus and his regional command group” said Eleazar.
Eleazar also said that based on consultation with the Chief PNP, police officers concerned are also ordered to refrain from making any comment on the case of Mayor Aquino, and just wait instead for the final result of the investigation.
“We appeal to all the parties concerned to do the same” he added.