President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has already ordered Bureau of Corrections Chief Nicanor Faeldon, to step down from his post. This fate of Faeldon is in connections with his exercise of sole power to relieve big time criminals from prison and set them free on what he justifies on good conduct of inmates while in prison. A good conduct behavior in prison is not enough to grant them freedom. Those who committed heinous crimes were not allowed yet they were included in the almost 2,000 inmates freed. This was therefore an abuse of authority.
Faeldon a retired Navy officer – a PMA graduate was first appointed by President Duterte as Chief of the Bureau of Customs. Sometime during his stay at BOC a P6.4 billion worth of shabu entered the Customs bureau, untouched neither apprehended. He said he did not know about the illegal drug entry. The President immediately dismissed him from BOC and assigned to the Office of Civil Defense then to the Bureau of Corrections.
The President is being highly praised for this move against a loyal but abusive follower.
TACLOBAN CITY- The Philippine Army has vowed to work double-time to neutralize the remaining 15 armed fighters of the New People’s Army (NPA) still running and hiding in the mountains of Leyte Island.
Brig. Gen. Lope Dagoy, commander of the Philippine Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade said on Wednesday their goal is to completely wipe out insurgency in Leyte before he retires in March next year.
“There are only 15 of them and it is more challenging to chase them. Now that I am in charge of two battalions, they have nowhere to go in Leyte Island,” Dagoy, a former commander of the Presidential Security Group, told reporters in an interview.
The remaining fighters have been hiding in the upland areas of the 5th district of Leyte following intensified combat operations in central Leyte and northwestern side of the island, the Army general said.
Leaders of the terrorist communist group abandoned their lairs in the third congressional district of Leyte after 1,200 of their members and mass supporters surrendered to the military April this year.
“These active 15 fighters are mostly leaders since they don’t have recruits. Communities and local governments in Leyte have been rejecting them. In fact, all mayors in Leyte, Biliran, and Southern Leyte province have expressed support to our anti-insurgency drive,” Dagoy said.
Inopacan, Leyte Mayor Azucena Mirambel, in a press conference on Monday, said they have been stepping up the implementation of livelihood programs and delivery of basic services to far-flung communities to reduce their vulnerability to NPA recruitment.
“The practical way to fight rebellion is to provide the basic needs of people, build roads, and schools,” the neophyte mayor said.
Baybay City Mayor Jose Carlos Cari, the former 5th district representative, in the same press conference, said he has been strongly lobbying for the construction of a new road connecting the remote communities of Mahaplag, Inopacan, Hindang, and Hilongos towns since these areas have been considered as vulnerable to insurgency.
“The project has already started. We need to build roads for easier delivery of services. We have to conduct regular consultations with people in the community to address their concerns,” Cari said.
It was in San Antonio village in Hilongos town where a village chief was brutally killed by NPA members two weeks ago. Building a road network in the area will drive away the remaining rebels, according to the military.
The NPA, which has been waging a five-decade armed struggle against the government, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO/PNA)
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez led in the opening of the Tacloban North Market located in Barangay 106 which will serve as the trading post among farmers located in the northern part of the city. Joining the city mayor were Councilors Aimee Grafil, Leo Bahin, and Dalisay Erpe, city agriculture officer Alfredo Camposano, and market superintendent Joel Bugho. (CIO)
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez led in the opening of the Tacloban North Market located in Barangay 106 which will serve as the trading post among farmers located in the northern part of the city. Joining the city mayor were Councilors Aimee Grafil, Leo Bahin, and Dalisay Erpe, city agriculture officer Alfredo Camposano, and market superintendent Joel Bugho. (CIO)
TACLOBAN CITY-City Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez together with Committee Chairperson on Market Councilor Dalisay Erpe led the formal opening of Tacloban North Market held at the City Hall North Extension grounds in Brgy.106 Sto. Niño on August 31, Saturday.
In his speech, Mayor Romualdez shared that the launching of the market is part of his vision for the Northern barangays. Also, he revealed that the programs and services that the city government is providing for northern part of the city are all for the convenience of the resettled communities.
Apart from the launching, the distribution of farm hand tractors to the nine farmer associations and awarding of market stalls at Supermarket for the 12 farmer associations and vendors were also highlighted.
“Taboan ha Norte Tacloban,” will serve as ‘bagsakan’ or trading center for farmers in the north and will have its “Market Day” every Saturday of the week from 4:00 to 6:00 in the morning.
Present during the opening were Councilors Aimee Grafil and Leo Bahin, City Agriculture Office Head Alfredo Camposano, OIC Market Superintendent Joel Bugho and other department heads. (CIO)
Members of Tanauan Leyte Assumption Society during the fellowship that immediately the Feast Holy Mass in honor of Our Lady of Assumption they held on August 24, 2019.
(Photo by Angelo Boks/TLAS)
Members of Tanauan Leyte Assumption Society during the fellowship that immediately the Feast Holy Mass in honor of Our Lady of Assumption they held on August 24, 2019. (Photo by Angelo Boks/TLAS)Fr. Jeremy Santos accentuated the value of life as he talked on the dogma of Mary’s Assumption into Heaven. (Photo by Eileen Nazareno-Ballesteros)
BY: EILEEN NAZARENO-BALLESTEROS
VALLEJO, California-In spite of hectic day-to-day grind, devotees of Our Lady of Assumption and their family members from across Northern California and have roots from Tanauan, Leyte recently gathered to celebrate the feast of their Philippine hometown’s patron saint.
Coming together in their common ground called Tanauan Leyte Assumption Society (TLAS), the members make it a point to annually celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Assumption in August, commemorated by the Catholic Church largely worldwide on August 15.
This year, albeit a week late, the officers and members of TLAS and its spin-off humanitarian outreach group Tanauan Leyte Assumption Foundation (TLAF) carried out the tradition at the St. Basil Catholic Church, this city.
Rev. Fr. Jeremy Santos, SBCC parochial vicar under the Diocese of Sacramento, presided the Mass.
In his homily, Fr. Santos gave emphasis on the dogma of Mary, Mother of Jesus, assumed by God to heaven body and soul and on her being one with Christ Jesus and God even while in her life on Earth.
He underscored the value of life, as can be gleaned on Mary’s humanity.
Mary’s closeness to God
“While she lives on this Earth, Mary shares in the closeness of God. She is close to each one of us, she can hear our prayer. She is given to us as our Mother whom we can call every time we are in need,” he said.
He spoke as well on the importance of commemorating Our Lady’s Assumption to Heaven, which dogma in the Catholic Church teaching states that the Virgin Mary “having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory”.
Dogma defined
The dogma was defined by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950, in the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus, exercising his papal infallibility.
An article on Catholic News Agency, read, “According to St. John of Damascus, the Roman emperor Marcian requested the body of Mary, Mother of God at the Council of Chalcedon, in 451.
CNA added, “St. Juvenal, who was Bishop of Jerusalem told the emperor “that Mary died in the presence of all the Apostles, but that her tomb, when opened upon the request of St. Thomas, was found empty; wherefrom the Apostles concluded that the body was taken up to heaven,’ the saint recorded.”
Further CNA informed, “By the 8th century, around the time of Pope Adrian, the Church began to change its terminology, renaming the feast day of the Memorial of Mary to the Assumption of Mary,” quoting theologian and EWTN senior contributor Matthew Bunson in an account to CNA.
Value of life
Fr. Santos, in his homily stressed, “In the midst of suffering in the 1950’s, Pope Pius XVI wanted to remind all humankind the value of human life in fulfilling the will of the Heavenly Father.”
“Materialism is destroying the value of body and soul. Our Lady’s Assumption into Heaven brings importance to man’s body.”
Tradition and devotion
As in each year of feast day celebration, a key sponsor headed the celebration. This year it Patricio Lauzon and Maddy Salvaña.
The celebration commenced, as done each year, with a Holy Mass followed by a banquet and partying.
Faith mixed with traditional social bonding
Elizabeth Buban-Ortiz, a native of Tanauan in Philippines’ Leyte province but has long been a US citizen, recalled how she got involved into the annual devotion and traditional get-together.
She remembered that since she arrived in US in January 1976, her mother Josefa would bring her to gathering almost every Saturday where there were partying and prayers.
Among those which she could fondly recall was the Santa Cruzan (May flower devotion) where among the participants was the TLAS.
When August came, they had the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Assumption, the patron saint of Tanauan, her mother’s hometown in the Philippines.
She said that the nine months prior to the August 15 Feast of Our Lady of Assumption there were monthly Novena prayers in her honor.
Having to drive for her mother Josefa, now deceased, she became actively involved and developed the devotion to Our Lady of Assumption.
Monthly Novena prior to feast day
In the local tradition, which they follow here in Northern California, an image of Our Lady of Assumption goes to the house of the ‘hermana’ (main sponsor of the annual fiesta) where the monthly prayer devotion is said.
Elizabeth recalled that when her family, along with few relatives, were the main sponsors, they said the novena prayer in Waray, the dialect spoken by natives of Tanauan.
Reading in the dialect was even harder than in English, according to her.
“Every time the image of Our Lady of Assumption was in the house, I feel the love, joy and happiness and feel so specially blessed,” she remarked.
Petitions granted
“Every time I asked for help my petition was always granted. Every time there were obstacles in my life, I asked the Lady in Blue and her eyes will look at me as if she is talking back to me,” she stated.
She added that the traditional gesture of getting blessings from her by her sons before going to work and upon arrival back home was all from her devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and praying hard to her.
Faith and outreach
The TLAS and TLAF members who are devotees of Our Lady of Assumption do not confine their fervor in church-related events.
The officers and members and families get involved as well in humanitarian outreach activities like donating goods to the needy in Tanauan and sending indigent but deserving students to school.
TACLOBAN CITY – An executive order was issued by the provincial government of Eastern Samar as a way to prevent entry of African swine fever in the province.
Under Executive Order 09-113 issued by Governor Ben Evardone on September 3, a task force was created whose members are from various government agencies.
African swine fever is a fatal animal disease affecting mostly pigs and wild boars with up to 100% case fatality rate.
Signs of illness among pigs include high fever, decreased appetite, and weakness. The skin may be reddened, blotchy, or have blackened lesions, especially on the ears, tail, and lower legs.
The task force is composed of the Provincial Governor’s Office, Provincial Veterinary Office, Provincial Health Office, Philippine National Police, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
Under the executive order, the provincial government will ban the entry of live pigs to the province without a complete and original documents, including veterinary shipping permit, veterinary health certificate, and other documents needed to transport a livestock.
“Shipment lacking the required documents shall be directed to return to their point of origin,” the order said.
The executive order also orders vendors of pork and pork-related products to secure a certificate of meat inspection from the National Meat Inspection Service.
Quarantine checkpoints in key points areas like the towns of Lawaan, Guiuan, Taft, Oras and Arteche are to be establish to monitor the entry of the livestock to the province which will be manned by the Municipal Agriculture personnel, PNP, and barangay tanods of each municipality.
Earlier, the city government of Borongan through Mayor Jose Ivan Agda also issued similar order preventing the entry of any swine products in the city within 30 days.
The order was issued in compliance to the Administrative Order of Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
A checkpoint manned by the City Veterinary Office and the PNP was established to prevent the entry of swine meat and live swine to the city.
Most of Borongan’s swine meat needs or 80 percent are imported from Davao and Mindanao are while only 20 percent are from local hog producers. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez extends his congratulations to jin players Sally Mae Aguirre and Jesiah Noelle Bagarino who won medals at the recently-concluded 2019 Batang Pinoy National Championship in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Aguirre won the cadet category while Bagarino won a bronze medal in the junior division. Also in photo is Carlos Dave Castillo(right), officer-in-charge of the City Sports Office (right)
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez extends his congratulations to jin players Sally Mae Aguirre and Jesiah Noelle Bagarino who won medals at the recently-concluded 2019 Batang Pinoy National Championship in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Aguirre won the cadet category while Bagarino won a bronze medal in the junior division. Also in photo is Carlos Dave Castillo(right), officer-in-charge of the City Sports Office (right)
TACLOBAN CITY- Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez warmly received in City Hall on Tuesday, September 3, the Tacloban Taekwondo jins that hauled gold and bronze medals in the recently concluded 2019 Batang Pinoy National Championship in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
During the courtesy visit, Mayor Romualdez lauded the two jins for bringing the name of the city and making the people of Tacloban proud.
Both studying in Leyte National High School, Sally Mae Aguirre, a Grade 8 student, topped the cadet category, while the ninth-grader Jesiah Noelle Bagarino settled for a bronze medal in the junior division.
“We are very thankful to God and to our coach for letting us achieve what we have now,” said Aguirre when asked how they felt after they received the award.
Meanwhile, their coaches namely Mansueto Paca-anas Jr. and Marlon Caing Jr. expressed gratitude for the support that the local government is giving for the sports and development program.
“The support was good from the City Government, we are accommodated very well. With that, hopefully, this will continue to ensure a bright future for the city’s youths,” said Paca-anas.
OIC of the City Sports Office, Carlos Dave Castello also appreciated the efforts of the athletes and players who represented Tacloban City and hopes for the continuing improvement of sports here in the city.
The 2019 Batang Pinoy National Championship was held in Puerto Princesa, Palawan from August 24 to 30. Athletes under 15 years old joined the annual sports event.
Aguirre and Bagarino will be competing again on September 7 to 8 for the National Age Group Taekwondo Championship that will be held at The Music Hall of the SM Mall of Asia.
(C. MERIN/CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
