PALO, Leyte — At least two major projects meant for the recovery of the region’s coconut industry, which was badly damaged by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’, will no longer be completed with the absence of funds, said an official of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Thursday.
PCA Eastern Visayas Regional Manager Joel Pilapil said that since 2013, there has been no post-disaster fund releases for the rehabilitation of the industry, rendering the fertilization and intercropping projects incomplete.
In December 2013, the central government disbursed P2.8 billion to the coconut sector in the three Visayas regions out of the P7 billion proposed funds for four major recovery projects, said Pilapil.
“After that, there had been no releases for coconut. We’re able to complete coconut replanting and debris management, but not the fertilization and intercropping,” Pilapil said.
The official made the statement after the Regional Project Monitoring Committee recently listed coconut fertilization as the most delayed project in Eastern Visayas.
The P238.32 million fertilization program only covered 31,214 hectares of the 233,784 hectares original target.
Another major setback in the fertilizer project is the outsourcing of procurement of 74,485 bags to the Philippine International Trading Corporation, as decided by the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization created by the previous administration.
“Until now, the process of procurement is still not complete,” Pilapil said.
For the P334.05-million intercropping project, only 64,460 hectares have been covered out of the 229,490 hectares of target area.
Intercropping was included as a post-disaster activity to create livelihood opportunities while farmers wait for the full recovery of their coconuts.
Overall, the region received P1.56 billion for the coconut industry in 2013, including the P468.42 million for replanting, and P525.74 million for debris clearing.
Super typhoon Yolanda affected 33 million trees — nearly half of which were totally damaged, according to PCA.
The “fragile” coconut industry after Yolanda was aggravated by another natural threat as Typhoon Ruby damaged at least 200,000 coconut trees by the end of 2014.
The number of fruit-bearing coconut trees decreased by a quarter after the two typhoons.
The highest percentage of reduction was recorded in the provinces of Leyte and Eastern Samar. In 2015, nut-bearing trees stood at 34.48 million, the lowest in decades.
According to a report by the National Economic and Development Authority, Region 8 had been one the country’s consistent top producer of coconuts, next to Davao Region from 1997 to 2011.
However, it eventually slipped into the third rank in 2012, fourth in 2013, and sixth in the last two years. Despite this, coconut remains a primary commodity in the region, comprising around 40 percent of its crop production.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

TACLOBAN CITY-The stranded baby dolphin injured by blast fishing died early Wednesday morning while being treated by local fishery officials in Ormoc City, said the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
BFAR Regional Director Juan Albaladejo said the dolphin calf died two days after it was rescued.
“The male dolphin had abrasions on his body. The stranding was due to acoustic trauma caused by blast fishing since the inner ear drum was damaged,” Albaladejo said in a mobile phone interview.
Acoustic trauma is an injury to the inner ear that’s often caused by exposure to a very loud noise such as explosives.
“Since its rescue last Monday, there has been a clear manifestation that the baby dolphin is unstable and not due for release anytime soon,” the BFAR official said.
A fishermen rescued the 131-centimeter baby dolphin on the shallow part of the sea Monday afternoon in Macabug village.
Experts administered antibiotics and use plastic containers as floating device to help the dolphin regain its buoyancy.
Albaladejo said they expected more sightings of marine mammals, especially in Leyte Gulf and Sogod Bay in Southern Leyte due to climate change. The mammals are sighted in Eastern Visayas region, which faces the Pacific Ocean.
A stranded marine mammal refers to one that has beached or run aground and is helpless or has lost the capability to return to its natural habitat.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

CARIGARA,Leyte-Nearly 5, 000 dancers clad in colorful ‘kimona’ and ‘camisa de chino’ filled the streets of this town on July 14 as they attempted to make into the Guinness World Records for the “Largest Numbers of Philippine Folk Dancers (kuratsa dance).”
The event, which was part of the town’s 423rd fiesta celebration on July 16, brought pride and excitement to the locals, saying it helped boost their tourism and economic activities.
“We practiced for two hours since June 27. We, the teachers handling Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health (MAPEH) subject, were tapped to train students and residents in the barangays,” said Myda Ibañez, a teacher.
“This is the first in the history of Carigara. All agencies participated,” Veronica Loreño, also a teacher, said.
“Even husbands of teachers participated in the dance. We shortened our classes for our daily practice,” she added, following an order from their local government unit.
Since her husband was busy with his job, Loreño said she had her 15-year-old son as the dance partner.
Majority of the 4,821 dancers who joined were students and teachers from the two school districts in Carigara, Jugaban National High School, Carigara National Vocational School, Carigara National High School, Eastern Visayas State University-Carigara campus, Holy Cross College of Carigara, municipal workers, the private sector, and ordinary residents.
Kuratsa or curacha is a traditional dance of courtship where the male approaches and courts a lady in a form of a dance and is very popular in different parts of the Philippines, particularly among the Waray people in the Visayas.
(RONALD O. REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY- The recent arrest of an alleged top leader of the communist’ armed group operating in Northern Samar was considered as a big blow by the government forces to the rebel movement in the province.
On July 13, Marieta Bartolo,46, identified to be the front secretary of Metro 1, SRC Emporium, said to be a unit of the New People’s Army operating in the towns of Pambujan, San Roque, Silvino Lubos, Las Navas, Mondragon, and Catarman, the provincial capital of Northern Samar by combined elements of the 803rd Infantry Brigade and the provincial police personnel.
The arrest of Bartolo came at a time that the peace negotiations between the national government and the Communist Party of the Philippines- National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) have bogged down.
Northern Samar remains to have strong presence of NPA members.
Captain Ryann Velez, civil-military operations officer of the 803rd IB based in Catarman, said that the arrest of Bartolo was a big blow to the armed movement considering that she is considered to be a high-ranking official.
“Her arrest is a victory to us. But at the same time, we are not taking the sole credit of her eventual arrest as we received help from the police and the people in the community that led to her and her companions’ arrests,” Velez, in a phone interview, said.
Velez said that Bartolo was arrested on board a vehicle owned by Ruth Figueroa, former ABC (association of barangay chairmen) president of Catarman in Barangay Bankerojan of said town at about 4:30 pm.
Figueroa, who is the incumbent chairwoman of UEP Zone 3, was also identified by government forces as the provincial leader of Bayan-Muna, tagged by Armed Forces as a front of the communist group.
Also arrested were Danny Basiloy,36, and a resident of UEP Zone 3; Emboy Loberiano, 21, a a resident of Brgy. Cal-igang, Catarman; and Gil Mijares, 45 of Brgy. Ipil-Ipil, Catarman and said to be the driver of the vehicle.
“They were from the house of Figueroa and were on their way to the Catarman proper when they were arrested,” Velez said.
“We cannot say yet what their relationship to each other as they refused to answer questions during their interrogation by the police. But considering that Bartolo is a high-ranking leader of the movement, we can just guess that they knew each other and probably belong to the same movement,” he added.
Seized from the suspects were six units of different firearms and cash worth P330,000, among others.
A complaint of illegal possession of firearms were filed against all four suspects before the Provincial Prosecutors’ Office hours after they were arrested.
A complaint of obstruction of justice was also filed against Figueroa and their three male companions.
At the time of the incident, the government forces were tailing the vehicle where the suspects were on board to serve warrants for murder, double murder, and frustrated murder, among others, against the alleged NPA leader. An informant provided a tip that Bartolo was on board of the said vehicle.
However, instead of stopping the vehicle, the suspects continued to sped off which resulted for the authorities to hit the tires of the vehicle which led to the arrest of the suspects.
Except for Figueroa who is now confined at the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital after suffering a mild stroke while undergoing mug shots, Bartolo and the three male companions are detained at the lock-up facility of the Northern Samar Provincial headquarters. (JOEY A. GABIETA)