In Northern Samar

CATARMAN, Northern Samar- The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD-8) conducted a post-incident evaluation (PIE) workshop for tropical depression “Usman” on February 6, 2019 at the Governor’s Residence, this town.
Among present during the activity were OCD-Assistant Regional Director Rey Gozon, representing Regional Director Henry Anthony Torres, Governor Jose Ong, Vice Governor Gary Lavin, and representatives from some members of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of Northern Samar such as MLGUs, provincial government offices, uniformed personnel, and search and rescue teams, with the special participation of Calbayog Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
The PIE workshop aimed to identify and correct weaknesses, as well as determine strengths which is an important component of disaster recovery planning as it supports program enhancement by applying lessons learned from the incident.
“Mas mainam na maging handa na tayo ngayon pa lang dahil hindi maiiwasan na dadaan pa tayo ulit sa mga bagyong tulad ni Usman,” Gozon said.
Gov. Ong and Vice Gov. Lavin were both glad that the evaluation was conducted by the OCD.
“I commend the OCD for initiating this activity. We hope that we will become more prepared as we encounter disasters which are becoming stronger and more dangerous,” the governor said.
“Nalilipay ako nga nagkamay-ada kita sini nga activity. Importante nga magburublig kita nga mga Nortehanon pag may naabot sin sugad sini nga mga kalamidad. [I am happy that we have this kind of activity. It is very important that we, Nortehanons, help each other in times of calamity],” Vice Gov.Lavin said.
According to Gozon, recommendations made after the workshop will be transmitted to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG0 for further study and possible application on future disasters and calamities.
This is the first time that the regional office of the OCD facilitated a post-incident evaluation which is an initiative of Director Torres and was patterned after the DOH’s PIE.
(JHON ALLEN BERBON, Provincial Information Office)

MAASIN CITY-The construction of the new Sogod District Hospital building has finally been completed and turned over on February 14 to the provincial government of Southern Leyte.
The new hospital building will soon operate with bigger and more convenient rooms that will serve especially indigent patients in Sogod and nearby towns, being the only government hospital located along Sogod Bay area. There are five private hospitals in Sogod town.
The new hospital building is located just in front of the old hospital building.
Governor Damian Mercado, who received the symbolic key from DRG Construction, urged the district hospital staff headed by Dr. Moises Olayvar, to take care of the patients admitted to the hospital.
He informed them that he does not want to hear from people of any discrimination in treatment especially among the indigent patients.
He also told Dr. Olayvar to always keep and maintain cleanliness of the hospital.
Mercado further said to the hospital doctors to prescribe medicines that are available at the in-house pharmacy.
He added that the provincial government has enough supply of medicines as agreed upon by the therapeutic board of the district hospital.
Mercado said he will not tolerate any issue as to non-availability of medicines at the hospital which will add to the burden of the patients forcing them to buy from their own pockets.
The turn-over ceremony was a milestone in the district hospital development with the participation of Rep.Roger Mercado, Sogod Mayor Imelda Tan, Vice Governor Christopherson Yap and other provincial and municipal officials.
Rep. Mercado emphasized that health services are as important as water, power, education, livelihood and other public services.
He was grateful with the unity of the local leaders that supported in the completion of the project.
Meanwhile, Department of Health 8 representative, Dr. Carmen Garado, urged the hospital management to include in their Health Facility Development Plan the renovation of the old hospital building to ensure funding from the health arm of the government.
(LDL/ESGORNE/PIA-8 SOUTHERN LEYTE)

TACLOBAN CITY – The region reflected a continued deficit in the total balance of trade in goods (BoT-G) to $40.16 million in November 2018 from $59.79 million in November 2017, which implies an improvement of 32.84 percent, a report from the regional office of the Philippine Statistics Authority(PSA) said.
Wilma Perante, PSA regional director, told Leyte Samar Daily Express in an interview, that the region’s total trade in goods in November 2018, which amounted to $109.04 million, was significantly lower by 64.41 percent compared with the $306.37 million in the same period last year.
“Total value of exports amounted to $34.44 million, which was 72.07 percent lower compared with the $123.29 million in November 2017. Total value of imports, meanwhile, was recorded at $74.60 million, 59.25 percent lower compared with the $183.08 million imports posted in the same period last year,” Perante said.
Perante reported that the region’s total volume of exports in November 2018 was posted at 67.05 million kilograms.
“The commodity group of ores, slag and ash was the major export during the month in review with total revenue of $33.05 million. This accounted for 95.96 percent of the region’s total export revenue in November 2018. Georgia was the top export market destination with $30.26 million total export revenue, which shared 87.87 percent of the region’s total exports,” Perante said.
She said that the region’s total imports in November 2018 recorded a total gross weight of 85.62 million kilograms. Ores, slag and ash commodity group was the major import during the month with total revenue of $58.19 million, accounting for more than three quarters or 78.00 percent of the region’s total imports in November 2018.
The top import supplier of the region was Australia with a total import bill of $58.20 million, comprising a 78.02 percent of the region’s total imports.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

As part of the Spark Samar campaign

TACLOBAN CITY- Nature lovers have a new place to visit in Samar province.
An eco-trail and birding site project, located in Paranas town, is set to open this summer where guests could freely commune with nature’ assets found inside the Samar Island Natural Park (SINP).
SINP is home to 215 bird species and over 1,000 species of flora and fauna, among others of its natural inhabitants, making an eco-trail an ideal activity, the Samar Provincial Tourism Office said in a statement.
The site had its soft launching last January 29 and will become an additional attraction to the Spark Samar, a tourism-related campaign of the provincial government under Governor Sharee Ann Tan.
The project is set to be formally open this April, just in time of the start of the summer season.
The eco-trail and bird watching project is in coordination with the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Bantay-Kalikasan and is supported by the Department of Tourism and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Based on the information provided by the tourism office of Samar, rest stops will be put up along the identified trails wherein tourists could see up close the unique and endemic species of flora and fauna inside the SINP, considered to be the country’s largest contiguous tract of old-growth forest covering more than 333,300 hectares.
The trails are guaranteed to be environment-friendly and would not cause any destruction to the natural resources inside SINP as the program is aimed in not only in making it as a tourist attraction but preserve its environment.
The guests will be given ‘lecture’ by assigned guides about the program and what species of flora and fauna and birds that they could see during their trails visit.
A viewing deck will be established in a strategic area where tourists could see and take photos of the 215 species of birds endemic at the SINP.
It was learned that the Paranas eco-trail and birding site program is designed not only to attract tourists as part of the Spark Samar campaign but also to provide additional income, particularly the identified people’s organizations, the Tenani Association for Women and Development (Tawad), and the Tour Guides and Boat Operators for River Protection and Environmental Development Organization (Torpedo).
The two organizations are trained in tour guiding, among others.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)