TACLOBAN CITY- A total of 53 sports scholars of the Leyte Sports Academy (LSA) will be joining the Leyte Division delegation for this year’s Eastern Visayas Regional Athletics Association (EVRAA) in Calbayog City.
Of the 53 LSA-scholar athletes, 18 of them will compete in athletics; 16 in wresting; 10 in swimming; four in boxing; three in archery; and two in wushu.
They will join the 634-strong delegation from Leyte, the over-all champions of last year’s EVRAA Meet held in Naval, Biliran.
The provincial government had allocated PP3.5 million assistance to the Department of Education Leyte Division for the participation of all athletes representing the province.
The division won 97 gold; 72 silver and 66 bronze.
The regional sports competition will start this Sunday, February 4 and will end on February 10.
Winners of the competitions will represent the region at the Palarong Pambansa in Ilocos Sur from April 16 to 20.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY- A man was killed while nine others were injured when a bus, owned by the Tacloban City government, rammed through several vehicles and pedicabs on Friday (February 2) morning in Catbalogan City.
Reports reaching the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police disclosed that the bus, driven by Aniceto Lumbre, 55 and a resident of Ridge View in Barangay Calanipawan, this city, lost its brakes while it was sneaking its way towards Rizal Avenue, Catbalogan City, at about 9 am.
This resulted for the wayward bus to hit 13 vehicles and pedicabs that were parked in the area which is located near the Catbalogan City Hall.
One of the passengers of these damaged vehicles, Adriano Sonio, 65 and a resident of Brgy. 9, Catbalogan, died while nine others sustained injuries.
They were identified as Evelyn Roque, Monalisa Jabonero, Eusebia Lama, Maria Leyson, Elena Jabiquero, Ricardo Mabansag, Nelson Mabilangan, Danilo Esquerdo, and Martin Rod Leyson.
The fatality and the injured victims were brought to the Samar Provincial Hospital.
The driver was detained at the Catbalogan City lock-up facility.
The bus, with plate number 073208 and donated by the Office of the President to ferry residents living at the resettlement sites in the northern part of Tacloban City, was on its way to Calbayog City for the opening of the EVRAA (Eastern Visayas Regional Association Athletic) Meet and with personnel from the Department of Education on board when the freak accident happened.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- While he is supportive on the move towards federalism, Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla admitted that he still has some reservations on this plan.
Petilla said that what he would like to clarify is on sharing of income between the federal state or province and the central government, among others.
“I am supporting federalism but I have some concern about it which the proponents are not giving us details like on the sharing agreement. How much are we really going to keep and how much are we going to give to the (central) government,” the governor said.
At present, all local government units receive their share on income through the collection of internal revenue allotment which varies depending on a formula stipulated under the Local Government Code.
The Leyte governor said that he would like to be clarified on this aspect on income sharing under the federal system.
President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies in both House of Representatives and the Senate are pushing to convert the current form of government to federalism through Charter Change.
But this move towards federalism is being questioned by some sectors saying, among others, this could lead to some politicians to stay in office for years and would only economically discriminate regions which are classified as poor like Eastern Visayas.
But Petilla said that with a ‘federal state’ giving more control, this could lead for its economic development as it is now responsible in managing its own resources.
It was learned that all the governors and mayors from the Visayas and Mindanao are scheduled to meet with the President on February 12 in Cebu City.
As what could be the agenda of the meeting, it is not clear yet though the issue on federalism is expected to be discussed. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- A 16-year old boy was arrested in a buy-bust operation by the personnel of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Hilongos town, Leyte on January 26.
Based on a report by PDEA Regional Director Edgar Jubay, the 16-year old boy was arrested with his companion, identified as Ipfhraim Ordeno, 22 and a resident of Barangay Lunang, Hilongos.
The PDEA elements conducted their buy-bust operation in Barangay Bantigue of said town at about 8:30 pm on Jan.26.
Confiscates from the suspects were 11 sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of P5,000.
Ordeno and his 16-year old companion, who is a resident of Brgy. Daang Lungsod, Bato town, also in Leyte, were charged for selling and possession of prohibited drugs and now detained at the lock-up facility of the Hilongos municipal police station. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY- As the city continues to experience heavy downpours, a health official reminds the public to take extra caution to avoid getting sick due to the bad weather.
Dr. Jaime Opinion Jr., city health officer, said that the cases of people, particularly children and elderly people, getting sick from cold, cough and fever notably increases during this kind of weather.
People should avoid going out but if they need to go out, they should make sure that they are properly protected like bringing with them umbrellas and other protective gears so they would not be exposed to the rain and the cold weather, Opinion said.
The public is also reminded to drink lots of water, take vitamins and to consult a doctor if they have cough for weeks especially when it is accompanied by fever.
The people are also advised to avoid walking into floods or better use rubber rain boots to avoid leptospirosis.(EDIZON CAHINDO, LNU Student Intern)

TACLOBAN CITY- Congressmen from Eastern Visayas have made a request for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) to waive the premium pay in the region due to the series of natural calamities to hit the area recently.
The region’s 12 solons, to include two party-list members from Eastern Visayas, made this request in a communication with Health Secretary Francisco Duque who is also the chairman of the Philhealth.
They cited the recent typhoons to hit the region that resulted in massive flooding and landslide incidents.
“Eastern Visayas is still recovering from the adverse impact of Typhoons Yolanda (2013) and Ruby (2014). Unfortunately, we again experienced heavy rains and severe flooding all across the region due to Tropical Depressions Urduja and Vinta in December (2017) and Typhoon Agaton in January this year,” the congressmen said on their letter to Duque.
“Most of our constituents have nothing left to pay for PhilHealth coverage, especially the poor farmers and fisherfolks affected by recent calamitous events,” they said.
According to them, free enrollment of health insurance will somehow lessen the burden of the people of the region, particularly those who are not yet members of Philhealth of their medical and health services.
To recall, when the region was pummeled by super typhoon Yolanda in 2013, Philhealth imposed its “All Can Avail” program wherein both members and non-members were able to avail health insurance benefits.
The special privilege policy was lifted on 2016.
Renato Limsiaco, Jr., regional vice president of PhilHealth in Eastern Visayas, said that they welcome this move of the congressmen saying this would be a big help to the medical needs of the people of the region, particularly those who are poor.
“We laud and support this move of our congressmen because this would mean our people, especially the poor, will now have access to medical services,” he said.
The policy, Limsiaco added, will also result in the achieving of their goal of a universal health coverage.
If this will be approved, about 650,000 people from the region who are not yet members of Philhealth could benefit this proposal.
At present, there are more than 1.93 million people of the region who are Philhealth-insured.
The signatories of the joint letter were congressmen Ben Evardone(Eastern Samar); Edgar Mary Sarmiento and Milagrosa Tan both of Samar; Edwin Ong and Raul Daza, both of Northern Samar; Rogelio Espina( Biliran); Roger Mercado(Southern Leyte);Yedda Romualdez, Henry Ong, Vicente Veloso, Lucy Torres, and Jose Carlos Cari, all from Leyte.
An Waray party-list Representative Victoria Noel and AANGAT Tayo! Representative Harlin Abayon III also signed the letter. (JOEY A. GABIETA)