BAYBAY CITY – The ongoing construction of a road project that connects the towns of Mahaplag and Hilongos, both in Leyte, will not only help in easing accessibility but will improve the condition of the villages which are considered as ‘critical areas’ due to presence of rebel members.
The road project, being implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways, was endorsed to the Regional Development Council by former congressman and now Baybay City Mayor Jose Carlos Cari in 2015.
The project was funded in 2016 with ground works started in 2017. Divided into two, works of the road project simultaneously started in Mahaplag and in Hilongos town.
The road project with length of 48.25 kilometers will provide an alternate route for motorists travelling from Tacloban City to Maasin City.
From four hours travel from Tacloban to Maasin, travel time is expected to reduce by an hour.
The project is expected to be finished in 2022.
Aside from accessibility and by helping in the delivery of farm products from the interior villages to the market, the road project is also projected to help in the anti-insurgency campaign of the government.
The road passes along villages that are identified as critical areas in the towns of Mahaplag, Inopacan, Hindang and Hilongos.
Last August 15, the village chief of Barangay San Antonio, Hilongos, Virgelio Loquias, was killed by members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
The NPA, an armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), said in their statement said that they “punished” Loquias “as penance for his blood debts against the People’s Democratic Government.”
They accused the village chief as “an active member of the Barangay Intelligence Network (BIN) and an organized military asset.
“Hopefully, once this is completed, they will no longer be called as critical areas,” Mayor Cari said.
“Not only (the project will) solve the problem on insurgency, but this will also help in giving better accessibility to the residents and the government in providing services during times of emergency and disaster,” Cari added.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Leyte road construction seen to help improve living conditions of the people and fight on insurgency
NwSSU chorale group wins in an international chorale competition in Indonesia
(Photo credit
Jonathan Theo Robles)
TACLOBAN CITY – The chorale group of the Northwest Samar State University (NwSSU) in Calbayog City was adjudged as the best in an international chorale competition in Indonesia.
The NwSSU chorale group, formed just a year ago composed of 27 student-singers, bagged gold in folklore category and was also the gold medal winner for Church Music category at the 4th North Sumatra International Choir Competition 2019 held last August 30.
The group also qualified for the grand prix.
The NwSSU chorale group, whose conductor Jonathan Theo Robles named as the most promising conductor, competed against Zamboanga City State Polytechnic College (ZCSPC), Mo’Awo Youth Choir (MYC), Camarines Sur Teacher Choir, Simfonia Medan, San Pedro Chorale, Jorih Jerah Choir, St. Cecilia Bintang Timur Choir, and Paduan Suara Yapentra.
Robles said that they have no high expectation because it is their first time to join an international chorale competition.
The conductor admitted that he was hesitant to join the competition since his group was only formed year ago but managed to join upon the prodding of a friend.
“I knew already about the North Sumatra International Competition po since its 2nd and 3rd culmination. Then last year, a fellow conductor I met in PASUC National Competition in Davao motivated me to join. At first, I was hesitant and I have lesser singers, but my friend was very consistent in motivating me. So I did try contacting some of the organizers about our interest in joining, and if we can qualify, that was when we were sent the invitation,” Robles said.
He added that their victory in this year’s 4th North Sumatra International Choir Competition is an early anniversary gift as they are to celebrate their founding anniversary this month.
Among the songs they performed during the competition were ‘Ama Namin’ and ‘Let me Fly’ for the Church Music where they were declared as the champion.
For the folklore category, they sung ‘Pan Anup’, a folksong from Ifugao, ‘Tephaeyg,’ a Manobo folksong and ‘Soleram’, a traditional Indonesian folksong, a lullaby from the Riav province.
While in the grand prix they performed again Let me fly and ‘Lead me Lord.’
The NwSSU chorale group is composed of students taking education, agriculture, environmental science, hospitality management, food technology, architecture and civil engineering.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
DOH: dengue fever in EV tapering off
Attributed to the cooperation of LGUs, agencies
BY:JOEY A. GABIETA
TACLOBAN CITY- Dengue fever cases here in the region may have reached its highest record but the regional office of the Department of Health(DOH) reported that its weekly cases is now in the decline.
From the start of the year until August 30, the DOH-8 has reported of 17,670 dengue fever cases across the region, of which 53 of them have died.
“While we have registered the highest number of dengue fever cases in the region since 2012, the good news is that our cases are decreasing based in our per week cases,” John Paul Roca, information officer of DOH-8,said.
According to him, from the previous months of 1,000 cases per week, the region has now only 500 dengue fever cases per week since last month.
Roca also said that unlike in previous months, the number of dengue fever patients brought to various hospitals are also in the decline, another indication that the further spread of the ailment is slowly being controlled.
In 2012, the region posted its highest number of dengue fever cases with over 12,000 people afflicted by the mosquito-bite ailment.
Roca said that the decline of dengue fever cases in the region could be attributed to the cooperation of local government units, to include other government agencies and the people in the communities, especially in the cleaning of surroundings where the mosquitoes that causes the ailment breed their eggs.
“(And) we are very thankful of their help because solving the dengue fever menace is not just a DOH initiative but by the whole communities,” he said.
Roca also said that parents are now aware on what to do whenever their children shows even slight of fever.
“They immediately seek immediate consultation unlike before that they only bring their children to the hospitals days after the onset of the fever,” he said.
Still, the DOH urged the public to continue on making sure that their surroundings are clean to ensure that its decline would continue,especially that rainy season is coming up.
The DOH in the region has projected that if the dengue fever cases would continue to increase, it could reached to over 28,000 using the per week number of dengue fever cases projection.
“That is why, we continue to advocate on search and destroy (on the breeding places),” Roca said.
Among the provinces in the region, Leyte posted the highest with 4,633 cases with 14 deaths followed by Samar with 3,014 cases with three deaths.
Eastern Samar has 2,190 cases with 12 deaths; Northern Samar, 1,371 cases with one death; Southern Leyte, 487 with four deaths; and Biliran, 548 with one death.
Meantime, among the seven cities of the region, Tacloban had the highest number of dengue fever, 2,248 with nine deaths followed by Calbayog,1,029 with one death; Catbalogan, 777 with three deaths; Ormoc, 584 with three deaths; Baybay,297 with one death; Borongan,399 with one death; Maasin, 70 with no death reported; and Baybay, 297 with single death.
A matter of common sense
Critics of President Rodrigo Duterte find it inappropriate that the president raised the Hauge ruling to the Chinese president quite apologetically. They wanted it done in an assertive manner, with a demanding tone, knowing that we won decisively in that case and that, it’s our territory that China is laying claims to in the West Philippine Sea.
Much as President Duterte could have done so, he could not help but stay calm and polite. First, he was just a visitor there, which means that he was in the enemy territory and to misbehave in anyway would put him in much trouble. Second, he was confronting a world superpower, which means that he can’t afford to provoke this giant to anger lest he be crushed into pieces with its mighty power.
Of course, again, the president could have acted defiantly, disregarding diplomacy and the above reasons, but it would have been too unwise as well. He would have been sent home empty-handed, not at all achieving anything in that official visit to China. Moreover, he may have to face further consequences, like being banned from visiting that country again, or being stripped of the present and previous grants that the country is availing.
Sometimes, we cannot put all the blame on the president. The first to blame is China itself, because it is claiming some territories that are glaringly within our territorial waters. It rejects mediation efforts from other countries since it just opts for bilateral talks between China and the Philippines. Yet when the talks are reduced to the bilateral level, it makes the same stance and doesn’t move an inch.
Can you put all the blames on the president for that? Of course not; this bully country is to blame first and foremost. We are just reacting to its territorial grabbing at the West Philippine Sea.
Kobe Andrei Tejero, EV first eye donor, laid to rest Saturday
TACLOBAN CITY- The death of Kobe Andrei Tejero,17, may have come as a deep shock to his family but turned out to be a blessing, not only to his family but even to strangers who will receive his eye tissue.
The family of Kobe, as he is fondly called by his family and close friends, donated his corneas to the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines, just hours after he died on August 20 while confined at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) here in the city.
Kobe, who was from Borongan City, sustained major head injury in a road accident on August 15 after he tried to avoid a dog crossing on the street, hitting him seriously on a pavement.
He was on his way to Maydolong town, 15 kms away from Borongan, to meet some of his friends there.
The death of their teenage son, who was a Grade 12 senior high student at the Eastern Samar National Comprehensive High School, was, at first, a shock to them, said his mother Mariso, 47.
“Of course, his death was a big shock to all of us. He was our eldest son. But when we decided to donate his eyes and his other organs, I whispered to him that he would be doing some good (for other people),” the grieving mother said in a phone interview.
It was learned from her that aside from the corneas of her son, the family have also decided to donate his other organs like kidney and heart.
And my family, she not only meant her husband Wilfred and son Brian Emmanuel, 13, but their relatives in both sides who all agreed to the plan.
However, his kidney ‘malfunctioned’ as it stopped producing urine output while he suffered cardiac arrest hours before he died.
His eyes, however, remained ‘healthy’ reason why only his corneas were harvested, Mariso, a computer teacher at the Eastern Samar State University, based in Borongan City, said.
But prior to their decision to donate the corneas of Kobe, they were first approached by a doctor of the EVRMC where there is medical center organ donation committee if they would be willing to donate the organs of their son.
Mariso said that for ‘unknown reason,’ she immediately said yes when she was approached if the family would be willing to become an organ donor.
“I really don’t know why. I immediately said yes when they asked us if we are willing to donate Kobe’s organs like his heart, kidney, and eyes,” she said.
According to her, she and her husband had a serious talk on the matter.
“We prayed about it. And we came to a decision to donate his organs. We consoled ourselves that if we donate Kobe’s organs, there is somebody out there who will benefit his organs who we can help extend his or his life. My husband and later our relatives agreed with me,” she said.
She added: “He was a very loving and helpful son. I knew he was also happy that we donated his (corneas) to help others who are in need,” Mariso added.
Mariso recalled that while she was pregnant with Kobe, she was looking for a blood donor and she was lucky to found one.
A team of doctors from Chong Hua Hospital, based in Cebu City, came to the EVRMC on August 20, just hours after Kobe’s death to harvest the corneas.
Mariso said that the doctors started the removal of her son’s corneas at 6 am and were done in less than an hour.
The doctors, after the operations, showed them the corneas of Kobe placed in a specialized small jar.
“We were just happy to see Kobe’s corneas. There were no fear or sadness. We kept on saying ‘Hi Kobe’,” she said.
The corneas were brought on August 21 to the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines (EBFP) based in Ermita, Metro Manila.
This selfless deed of the family of Kobe was lauded by the EBFP as he became the first ever eye donor from the region.
Yna Orfinada, senior procurement transplant coordinator of the EBFP, said that they were just happy that the family of Kobe decided to donate the corneas of their teenage son.
“Of course we are happy. We hope that this will further encourage others to become organ donors,” she said in a phone interview.
According to her, at present, there are about 450 persons who are waiting for corneas donation but only 30 have been enlisted as donors.
Orfinada said that there is an already an identified recipient on Kobe’s corneas with the operation slated in the next few weeks.
She said that the corneas should be transplanted to the prospective donor within 14 days after they were harvested from the donor.
“We have already an identified beneficiary on Kobe’s corneas. But there is a confidentiality rule which we cannot divulge the name of the recipient,” Orfinada said.
She added that this rule, however, could be waived if the beneficiary and the surgeon who undertook the operation would agree for the recipient and the family of the donor to meet.
Mariso had expressed her desire to personally see the recipients of her son’s corneas.
She said that she does not feel any regrets on their decision to have Kobe’s corneas donated and no longer feel ‘any pains’ on the death of her son.
In fact, she added, organ donation would now become part of her advocacy as she now considers herself as an organ donor.
“Of course, I will not just go out there and asked for the people to donate their organ. I will just explain to them the beauty of donating our organs so others who are in need would live,” she said.
The mother also said that she has yet to know anyone from the city expressing opposition on their decision to have Kobe’s corneas donated.
She added that the outpouring of support from their friends, and even strangers, were proof that they were in agreement on their decision.
Kobe’s girlfriend, Luzel Antonette Hernane, expressed the support of the family donating his organ.
“I’m sure, he too, would agree to have his corneas donated to somebody. He was just a loving and caring person,” she said in a private messaging interview.
Orfinada said that lack of awareness on the advantages of organ donation, personal belief and religion are some of the factors why organ donation in the country appears to be taboo with only very few willing to donate their organs.
“That is why, we will strengthen further our campaign on organ donation in the country and we are thankful to Kobe and his family as this will help in our campaign,” she said.
Kobe was buried on August 31 at the public cemetery in Borongan City. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
Naval town implements anti-smoking ordinance, designates smoking areas
NAVAL, Biliran- The new set of Naval municipal officials has implemented its anti-smoking ordinance to promote health and safety of its constituents.
Romel Salvatierra, communications officer and chief of Task Force Anti-Smoking of Naval, informed the public of the strict implementation of “no smoking in public places” within the municipality during his guesting at the PIA-Biliran’s Pulong-Pulong ng Bayan over Radyo Natin-Naval recently.
The local government unit of Naval has designated six smoking areas in town.
Salvatierra said the designated smoking areas are as follows: at the back of the Naval Municipal Legislative Building; at the last portion of the barbecue stalls along the boardwalk; at the back of the public CR at the town’s PUV terminal; at the back of the Naval gymnasium; and two separate smoking areas at the back of the public market, near the seawall.
All smoking areas are designed with anti-smoking campaign tarps showing the ill-effects of smoking.
Police officers and members of the task force are deployed to apprehend and issue citation tickets for violators.
Salvatierra advised smokers follow the ordinance, otherwise, a fine will be imposed in the amount of P500, P1,000, P1,500 for the first, second, and third offenses, respectively, or an equivalent community service.
The municipality of Naval was previously awarded 100 percent tobacco-free environment according to the Sangguniang Bayan Secretary, Marilou Lucente.
Naval also received the Red Orchid Awards in 2011 and 2012, and the Red Orchid Hall of Fame Award in 2013, all at national level, Lucente said.
(LDL/MLT/PIA-8, Biliran)