TACLOBAN CITY- The region remains to be generally peaceful with no intelligence information yet that the rebel group, the New People’s Army, plan to stage their attack against government forces or vital installations.
Thus said Major General Raul Farnacio, commanding general of the 8th Infantry Division whose headquarter is based in Catbalogan City.
Farnacio, however, said that they are still on alert for any possible attack from the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
Armed attack coming from the rebel group is anticipated as the peace talks between the CPP-National Democratic Front and the national government broke down.
Thus, all soldiers in the region are on alert and vital installations like the geothermal plants in Barangay Tongonan, which straddles between Kananga and Ormoc City, is being secured.
But Farnacio remain positive that unlike in other parts of the country, he believes that the rebel group in the region is still open for a possible peace talks.
“Fr. Santiago Salas adheres to the NDF panel and there is a big chance that they are really pursuing peace, once and for all,” Farnacio said, referring to the spokesperson of the NDF in the region.
The Army general said that Salas is aware of the consequences what turmoil brings, particularly on the aspect of economy.
Because of the continued armed battle between the government and the rebel group, the three provinces in Samar Island are among the 10 poorest provinces in the country, Farnacio said.
He said that the military would like to contribute economic development to the provinces of Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar by achieving peace on these areas.
Development, he stressed, could not be achieved if problem on security remains on these three Samar provinces.
Farnacio also expressed his support to both Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan and Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Romualdez who chairs the Regional Peace and Order Council and the Regional Development Council, respectively.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY-The Sangyaw Foundation Inc. officials recently met to plan and discuss events for this year, in support to the socio- cultural programs of Mayor Cristina Romualdez.
Sangyaw Foundation is the socio-cultural arm of the city government.
Discussed during the February 17 meeting involved the short and long term plans of the foundation which include, among others, on the forthcoming June 29-30 city fiesta and events that would support to the clean and green program of the city government under Mayor Romualdez.
The Sangyaw Foundation has been supporting in recognizing artists and talents from the city and honored through Sangyaw Awards which is among the highlights of Tacloban annual fiesta.
(GAY B.GASPAY)

TACLOBAN CITY- The Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park (MVNP) is attracting more tourists nowadays.
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla in an interview said that an increase in the number of tourists has been noted for the last few years.
He cited that in 2015, more than 5,000 tourists visited the park and increased by 50 percent the following year.
Governor Petilla said that MVNP, located in the boundaries of Burauen and La Paz towns, is another promising tourism attraction which his administration is promoting.
Petilla said that they projects that more tourists will visit the park upon the completion of the concreting of the road leading to the MVNP in the middle of this year.
Meantime, Regional Director Leonardo Sibbaluca of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, regional office 8 (DENR-8) said in an interview that recognizing the tourism potentials of MVNP, his office has spearheaded the Second Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park (MVNP) Outdoor Festival, February 3, 2017 with the aim of promoting environmental protection and conservation and ecotourism.
More than 1,000 people attended the festival, he added.
Sibbaluca said that the volcano with its visible crater has its natural wonders and attractions to include multi-colored mud, hot springs, waterfalls and a diversity of flora and fauna. He also added that the park has twin volcanic crater lakes – Lake Mahagnao and Lake Malagsum.
Sibbaluca said that the park has the prevailing cool or temperate environmental conditions.
He added that Mahagnao Volcano with an elevation of 860 meters (or 2,820 feet) from the sea level and which is the focal point of the natural park, is classified as a dormant volcano by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) with last eruption reported in 1865.
Proclamation no. 184 dated August 27, 1937 created Mahagnao Volcano National Park with an area of 635 hectares (1,570 acres) and was renamed under its present name under Proclamation no. 1157 dated February 3, 1998.
(RESTITUTO CAYUBIT)

ORMOC CITY- Mayor Richard Gomez of this city that he would regulate the holding of cockfighting saying staging such activity should be within what the laws allows.
Gomez, who is serving on his first term in office, noted that cockfighting is rampant in the city that even in sitios its being regularly held.
According to the city mayor, cockfighting is only allowed during a fiesta celebration or should be staged cockpit arena.
Gomez claimed that cockfightings were allowed to be held in the sitios even without occasion by the previous administration for days.
“If we will allow to have cockfighting in all villages including sub-villages, we might have cockfighting all year round in this city,” Gomez said.
He stressed that cockfight will only be limited in cockpit arena and during fiestas.
Ormoc City has two cockpit arenas.
Under Presidential Decree No 1310, a municipality or city with more than 100,000 population is allowed to have two cockpits.
Based on 2015 census, Ormoc City has a total population of 215,031.
Mayor Gomez also vowed to address other illegal activities like gambling.
“We need to address the problem in the family wherein husbands are going home without giving money to their wives because they lost in the gambling,” he said.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY- Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez led a two-day team building workshop attended by heads of the several departments and offices of the City Hall.
The team building focused on organizational effectiveness held February 17-18 at the Caluwayan Beach Resort in Marabut, Samar.
The two-day team building seminar workshop of had group activities and lectures on leadership capabilities, logical decision making and motivational skills that would aid every one of them on actual situations encountered in respective offices in line of duties.
As a leader, they should be equipped with leadership skills that would aid them in decision making, inputs on how to think as an office head, some leadership frameworks, what inspires them and drives them as a good leader, and how to work as one team for the betterment of the city, Mayor Romualdez said in an interview.
City Cooperative head Ruena Mate sees the team building training as an indication of the department heads support on the programs and projects of Mayor Romualdez for Tacloban City.
“All of us were made to practice and say positive words and actions in dealing with fellow participants to show support and expectedly to be duplicated when we return to our respective post,” she added. (GAY B.GASPAY, TISAT)