CATARMAN, Northern Samar- Two legislators from this province were elected to the highest positions during the recently concluded 7th Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines (PBMLP) regional elections for Region 8 held on September 5 at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City.
Board member Neil “Nonoy” Hernandez (first district) was elected as regional chairman of the PBMLP winning by four votes over Leyte’s first district board member Ranulfo “Bob” Abellanosa.
Hernandez had 37 votes while Abellanosa got 33 votes from fellow board members in the region.
Board member Hazel “Chin” Dela Rosa, also from the first district of this province, won as regional vice chairman with a six-vote margin over Rolando Bacoy of Southern Leyte.
Dela Rosa got 38 votes while Bacoy had 32 votes.
Dela Rosa, a newbie board member, ran under Abellanosa’s line-up.
In their respective Facebook page, both Hernandez and Dela Rosa expressed their gratitude to their fellow provincial legislators from the region for their trust and support in electing them.
Hernandez also extended his thanks to Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan, and Reps.Paul Daza (1st district) and Jun Ong (2nd district) and former congressman Emil Ong.
The new set of Regional Council officers who will serve until 2022 were the following: Regional Chairman: Neil Hernandez; Regional vice chairman: Hazel Dela Rosa (1st district, Northern Samar); secretary general: Karen Alvarez (Eastern Samar); treasurer: Gina Merilo (1st district, Leyte); auditor: Napoleon Regis (2nd district, So. Leyte); public relations officer: Jerome Arcinal (1st district, Biliran).
Elected as board of directors were Trinidad Apostol(Leyte); Teofisto Roxas(Southern Leyte); Carlos Chan(Biliran); Alvin Abejuela(Samar); and Miguelito Ayong(Samar).
(RACHEL V. ARNAIZ)
Northern Samar board member elected as chairman of PBMLP-Eastern Visayas Chapter
Tingog Rep. Romualdez calls for stiffer penalty on human trafficking
photo by Ver Noveno
TACLOBAN CITY-Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt Romualdez on Sunday commended Immigration personnel who foiled an attempt by an American woman to smuggle out of the country a six-day old boy hidden in her sling bag at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport last Wednesday.
Romualdez, chair of the committee on the welfare of children at the House of Representatives, also called on her fellow legislators to support initiatives that will impose stiffer penalties on human trafficking, particularly child smuggling.
“Let me commend our airport authorities, especially the alert immigration officers, for a job well-done. Their dedication to duty paid off and led to the arrest of a foreigner engaged in child smuggling,” Romualdez said.
“I cannot understand how a woman, a mother of five, could stuff a week-old child in a hand-carried luggage. Such cruelty is beyond comprehension,” the lady solon added.
Romualdez said she would discuss with her committee members the possibility of amending existing laws on human trafficking with the end in view of increasing the penalty further for child smuggling.
“I am in favor of imposing stiffer penalties against child smuggling. I am optimistic that my colleagues in Congress will extend their full support to such initiative,” she added.
Republic Act (RA) No. 10364, which expanded the law on human trafficking, imposes the penalty of imprisonment of 15 years and a fine of not less than P500,000 but not more than P1 million to those found guilty of attempted trafficking in persons.
Section 4-A of the law state that: “In cases where the victim is a child, any of the following acts shall also be deemed as attempted trafficking in persons: facilitating the travel of a child who travels alone to a foreign country or territory without valid reason therefor and without the required clearance or permit from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, or a written permit or justification from the child’s parent or legal guardian; executing, for a consideration, an affidavit of consent or a written consent for adoption;recruiting a woman to bear a child for the purpose of selling the child; simulating a birth for the purpose of selling the child; and soliciting a child and acquiring the custody thereof through any means from among hospitals, clinics, nurseries, daycare centers, refugee or evacuation centers, and low-income families, for the purpose of selling the child.
Romualdez said she would also support moves to impose stiffer penalties against accomplices and other individuals who participate in the commission of the crime of child smuggling.
“A child is a blessing that needs to be protected and nurtured. Anyone who endangers the safety of the child deserves to be locked up behind bars,” Romualdez stressed. (PR)
DOH asks local government units to continue clean-up drive to contain dengue fever cases in EV
GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO, Leyte – The regional office of the Department of Health(DOH) is encouraging local government units to continue doing their clean-up drives to destroy mosquito breeding sites that may carry the dengue fever virus.
DOH-8 regional information officer John Paul Roca said that the number of dengue patients recorded in the region is now decreasing every week but people must not be complacent as they should instead continue in destroying the mosquito breeding sites.
Roca cited as an example the provincial government of Samar which declared August 9 as a special non-working holiday for all government employees for them to participate in the clean-up drive.
An executive order signed by Governor Milagrosa ‘Mila’ Tan mandated for a province-wide clean-up drive every Saturday for four consecutive weeks.
“This is what we called a good practice for a local government unit which others must do because the implementation of health programs are handled in their level while on our part is more on technical assistance,” Roca said.
Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone also issued an executive order declaring every Friday as special non-working holiday in all government offices in the province for four consecutive weeks starting September 13.
“Especially now that rainy season is coming, regular clean-up drive is very important and the most effective tool to ensure that mosquito will have no breeding site and to prevent the spread of dengue,” Roca said.
The DOH in the region reported that the from week 1 to week 35, dengue cases in Eastern Visayas had already reached 17,670 or a 327.12 percent increase to the same period of dengue cases in 2018 with only 4, 134.
Most of the cases or 26 percent of the reported dengue victims came from Leyte province with 4,633 cases. This is followed by Samar with 3,014 cases and Eastern Samar with 2,190, Northern Samar with 1,371, Biliran with 548 and Southern Leyte with 487.
Among cities, Tacloban has the most number of dengue reported cases with 2,248, followed by Calbayog City with 1,029 and Catbalogan City with 777.
Number of deaths due to dengue also increases to 53 compared to 26 of the same period in 2018.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Tacloban gov’t, groups move to introduce single use plastic
As a way to address wastes problem of the city
TACLOBAN CITY- An environment group based this city is calling the public to practice proper waste disposal and join in their campaign on single use plastic.
This call of the Mother Earth Foundation came amid the declaration of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) that the lifespan of the city’s sanitary landfill would be just three years instead of its original 10 years of usage.
The city’s sanitary landfill begun its operation six months ago and is located in Barangay San Roque, a village located on the northern part of the city and is more than 10 kms away from the city proper.
Elizabeth Biagcong, project officer of the Mother Earth Foundation, said that one way of helping in curbing the city’s wastes is for the public to observe proper waste disposal and not just throw their garbage anywhere.
The group, together with other environment groups Waste 360, and TOES (Tender Foot Organization of Enthusiastic Striders) conducted clean-up drive Saturday (Sept.7) along the stretch of Magsaysay Boulevard.
During their clean-up drive, which lasted for just two hours, the groups collected more than 40 sacks of wastes, mostly plastic materials, Biagcong, speaking during the weekly media forum ‘Express it at the Park’ held at the Leyte Park Resort Hotel, this city, said.
It was learned that if wastes are properly disposed by the residents of this city, its daily waste collection could drastically reduce.
Biagcong said that thus, the lifespan of the city’s sanitary landfill could really be used up to 10 years or even more.
According to her, of the city’s 110 tons per day of wastes, only 40 percent of them should be deposited to the city’s sanitary landfill.
At present, all wastes collected go straight to the sanitary landfill, shortening its load capacity in the process.
Councilor Aimee Grafil, who chairs the committee on environmental protection and solid waste management, meantime, said that the city government is also working on this issue.
In fact, she said, they are moving for the city to enforce a single use plastic.
Grafil said that the Sangguniang Panglungsod is now in the process of enacting such an ordinance which she hopes would be approved before the year is over.
“If this policy is being practiced in other areas, why we cannot do the same here in Tacloban City,” the lady councilor said, referring on their proposal to ban single use plastic.
According to her, under the proposed ordinance, violators, both individual and companies or establishments, faces a penalty or even imprisonment.
Grafil also issues an appeal for business establishments in the city to start using paper or eco bags as their way in helping address the city’s growing waste problem.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Catbalogan, China’s Xi’an cities forge sisterhood agreement
CATBALOGAN CITY – The local chief executive of this city signed an intention of forging a sisterhood agreement with Xi’an City, China Saturday (September 7).
The Letter Intent of Friendly Exchange City was signed between Mayor Dexter Uy and Mayor Li Mingyuan and witnessed by officials from both cities at M Grand Royal, this city.
Xi’an is the capital of Shaanxi province and it is one of the oldest cities in China, and part of the so-called ‘Four Great Ancient Capitals’ having held the position under several of the most important dynasties in Chinese history.
The city, since the 1990s, had become part of the economic revival of China especially for its central and northwest regions, emerging as an important cultural, industrial and educational center of the central-northwest region, with facilities for research and development, national security and space exploration.
Meanwhile, Catbalogan, the provincial capital of Samar province and is the main commercial, trading, educational, financial and political center of the province.
The signing between Catbalogan and Xi’an was described by Mayor Uy as ‘special’ and ‘historical’ that will “start building a bridge of friendship between two cultures and two governments.”
“This event will signal the building of a bridge for a possible transformation and development of our respective cities. A transformation from our old promising past to our developed future,” Mayor Uy said in his message during the signing.
Mayor Uy shares that he had several reservations before the signing because Catbalogan is incomparable to Xi’an, in terms of economy, infrastructure, industry, tourism, education, history and many other aspects.
“It was a valid apprehension because I was thinking then that to have a sisterhood partnership with other cities is just limited to exchanging and sharing of resources and expertise,” Mayor Uy said.
“But then I realized this is not a competition; this is rather cooperation. The city has so much to offer when it comes to natural tourism and resources, the skills of our people, our culture and education; and our experience of resiliency which will provide rich understanding on scientific approaches in addressing disaster and calamities,” he added.
Uy added that partnering with Xi’an will become a “learning opportunity, an avenue to comprehend the strategies, systems, interventions and lessons that Xi’an have experienced in their years of existence and apply the same in our locality.”
“With this, therefore, Catbalogan would become a younger sister city of Xi’an, hence, I appeal for your understanding and guidance. If our sister-city partnership will be realized, for sure our success will also be Xi’an’s success,” he said. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Villar-owned Prime Water now manages LMWD
Officials allay fear of rate increase
BY: JOEY A. GABIET & ROEL T. AMAZONA
TACLOBAN CITY- After more than 40 years of operations as a full government-owned and controlled corporation, the Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD) will now be partly managed by a private company.
This after the current LMWD officials, headed by its general manager Engr. Pastor Homeres, signed an agreement with the Villar-owned Prime Water Infrastructure Corporation or Prime Water on July 2 of this year.
The agreement takes effect this month of September.
The water agency, created in 1975 which covers seven towns and this city involving more than 37,000 member-consumers, will now be known as Prime Water Leyte Metro.
In a press conference Monday (Sept.9), officials of both LMWD and Prime Water insisted that their partnership is a joint agreement and not privatization.
Homeres said that under the 25-year agreement, the LMWD will keep the ‘supervisory and regulatory’ functions while the Prime Water was assigned to do the daily operations of the facility.
“The LMWD board will monitor and (ask for an) update (on the Prime Water operations. We will keep the regulatory and control powers,” Homeres said during the press conference.
The Prime Water, meanwhile, said that for the next 25 years, the company owned by the family of former Senate president Manny Villar, will infused P6.6 billion aim to improve LMWD’s services to its member-consumers.
Angelo Alain Flores, business development officer of the Prime Water, this early, dismissed speculations that the private-public partnership will result to an immediate increase of the current rate of P148 per cubic meter.
He said that under the agreement, any rate increase will come on the third year of operations.
By then, Flores said, some improvements that they intend to do would have been accomplished like improvement of the water treatment facilities, and increase of water supply, the most common problem among consumers to include in several parts of Tacloban where the main bulk of the agency’s 37,233 consumers are located.
“We are to support LMWD.We are here to commit and work for you,” Flores said, appealing to the consumers of the agency who could have been averse on the joint venture agreement.
Homeres said that the board has agreed that they would oppose any rate increase if they deem it not commensurate to the performance of the Prime Water which handles the daily operations of the water agency.
“It is anticipated because we are partnering with a private entity because they want to recoup their investment. But the board will oppose to any proposed tariff increase. It will go into process because we are still under LWUA (Local Water Utilities Administration),” the general manager said.
LWUA is a government agency which supervises and administers all water agencies in the country.
Judge Dominador Isidoro, Jr., assistant government corporate council, said that the consumers of the LMWD could be assured that the agreement would not place them at the disadvantage.
He said that his office reviewed the contract carefully and did not saw any items in the agreement that are disadvantageous to the consumers.
High cost that would entail further improvements of LMWD services was the main reason why they entered into a agreement with Prime Water, board member vice chairman Bernardita ‘Bering’ Valenzuela said.
She also said that the LMWD did not sold any properties to the Prime Water.
She even said that water agency will be making P70 million annually out of the leasing of some of their properties like its water treatment facilities.
Valenzuela also said that employees of the utility, to include the job order and casual workers would not be affected by the new management.
Those who availed of early retirement were paid handsomely, she said.
“Those who opted for early retirement were paid equivalent to one month salary per year of service,” Valenzuela said.