TACLOBAN CITY- The National Rabies Awareness Month Celebration in the city government of Tacloban was capped with the awarding ceremony of the winners of the “Search for Astray and Rabies Free Barangay” held at the USAID Training Center on March 29, 2019.
The team leaders of the 5 evaluating teams together with Dr. Eunice Alcantara, Dr. Rogiel Mahait and Dr. Johdel Ty of the City Veterinary Office after thorough deliberations unanimously selected Barangays 36-A Imelda Village, 44 Sta. Cruz St./Quarry District and 43-A Quarry District as the grand winners of the Contest.
Each of the barangay received a plaque of recognition and a cash prize worth P10,000.
Chairmen Rebecca Obenieta (Brgy. 36-A), Marilou Tiu (Brgy. 44) and Evelyn Magalona (Brgy. 43-A) each gave their impressions of the event.
Tiu committed to continuing the campaign against rabies in her barangay through a barangay-based search for Astray/Rabies Free Households and regular film-showing event about the dreaded disease in her barangay.
Consolation prizes were also given to seven barangays, namely Brgys. 71 Naga-Naga, 81 Marasbaras, 109 V&G, 92 Apitong and 17 Gomez St; each received plaque of participation and a cash prizes of P7,000.
Brgy. 83-A Burayan and Brgy. 39 Siren District both received plaque and cash prizes worth P5,000.
The barangays were rated using the following criteria: record of dog population survey (10 points), adoption of the barangay of the city ordinance (15 points), record of barangay blotter of animal bite cases (10 points), record of negative results of samples submitted to RADDL (Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory) (10 points), rabies awareness posters in strategic places in the barangay (10 points), negative human/animal cases for the past five years (15 points), record of dog registration/vaccination (10 points) and on-site evaluation/enumeration of stray dogs (20 points).
According to City Veterinary Officer Dr. Eunice Alcantara, the contest was the first ever held in the entire Country.
Alcantara likewise disclosed that for almost 15 years there was no human transmission of rabies recorded in Tacloban City.
The last recorded case was in 2004, and she hopes that Tacloban City will finally be declared nationally as a “rabies-free city.”
The success of the anti-rabies campaign in Tacloban is due to the unwavering support of Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez to the Veterinary Office.
Mayor Romualdez was represented by Executive Assistant Dr. Teofila Brosas who was one of the Award presenters.
Last year, the CVO was awarded by the Department of Health Regional Office 8 as the Best Performing local government unit in the region for the Rabies Awareness and Control Program.
(R.CALIPARA/CIO)

Now a candidate for Samar governor

TACLOBAN CITY- Samar Rep. Milagrosa ‘Mila’ Tan was acquitted by the Sandiganbayan on a complaint filed against her over alleged irregular purchase of medical and dental supplies while she was still the governor.
In a decision released on March 29, the anti-graft court said that the prosecution failed to establish that Tan committed graft and malversation of public funds involving P69 million.
The said act happened in 2007 while she was the governor of the province.
“There is no evidence that the drugs and medicines purchased were overvalued nor was there any showing of the accepted, appropriate or standard prices for the items. The court cannot merely speculate,” the Sandiganbayan said on its 67-page decision.
Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Econg penned the decision concurred by Associate Justices Efren dela Cruz and Edgardo Caldona.
The decision of the Second Division of the Sandiganbayan came out as Tan was gearing for her campaign on her bid to replace her daughter, Sharee Ann Tan, as governor of the province.
The younger Tan is running for the congressional post to be vacated by her mother.
Aside from Tan, also cleared by the Sandiganbayan were her co-defendants, namely, Roselyn Larce, Bienvenido Sabenecio Jr., Francasio Detosil, Ariel Yboa, Rolando Montejo, and George Abrina.
The Sandiganbayan has also ordered the release of their respective bail bonds and directed the Bureau of Immigration to remove them from the hold departure list.
Tan allegedly took advantage of her position as governor when she purchased various drugs, medicines, and dental supplies from Zybermed Medi Pharma owned by private respondent Larce between March 28 and August 21, 2007.
The Sandiganbayan, on its ruling, said that the questioned supplies were delivered and distributed to the people and a regular bidding was conducted.
Tan was earlier found guilty by the Fourth Division of Sandiganbayan on the alleged anomalous procurement of emergency supplies worth P16 million in 2001 when she was the governor of the province.
She posted bail for this case. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- A total of 100 Jobstarter program trainees successfully graduated from the six-month full cycle training in this city last March 29.
The graduates represented the first batch of the partnership program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the local government of Tacloban which aims to increase the employability of the youth through technical and skills training.
Present during the graduation held at the Fatima Parish Hall in Tacloban was Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Manager Emilia Cruz, Cooperation Embassy of Canada Head Stephen Weaver, DOLE North Leyte Field Office Head Bernardita Navarra and Bureau of Local Employment Representative Roanna Kyra Querijero.
Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez was represented by Executive Assistant Atty. Marie Ronette Salve Barreda who read the message of the mayor exhorting the Jobstart trainees to use their full potential and not take the opportunity for granted.
“We hope that you will not take this opportunity for granted. Paniguro kita ngan ayaw naton sayanga ine nga oportunidad. Hinaot unta Nga makabulig a Jobstart para makabiling kamo hin trabaho ngan makabulig han iyo pamilya,” the message read.
The Chief Executive likewise lauded the generous partners of the local government in the program which is being implemented for the first time in the City.
The jobstarter completers started their training last September 2018 until March 20, 2019.
Before their 3-month internship on food and beverage in a partner business establishment, the trainees first underwent a 55-day Life Skills and Technical Training.
The life skills training is an essential component of the full-cycle employment facilitation service which offers one-on-one career guidance among the beneficiaries.
At the end of the training, the completers received their National Competency (NC) II Accreditation from the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
The jobstart partner establishments are McCarol Ventures, Pinutos Express Kuisin, Taytay Sa Kauswagan, Stephanie Smoke Haus, Mang Inasal and McDonalds. (HENRY JAMES ROCA with a report from D. ABARQUE)

BAYBAY CITY- Senator Cynthia Villar said that she does not aspire to become a Senate president.
Villar made this remark in an interview here after she urged the women of this city to become empowered during the culmination program of the Women’s Month celebration Sunday (March 31).
“Ano ang gagawin ko doon (as Senate president).Magma-manage ng mga senador? Gusto ko bumalik sa committee on agriculture kasi ito yung most challenging,”she said during a media interview.
While the House of Representatives has elected a woman for speaker in former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Senate has yet to produce a woman president.
Aside from Villar, the current women in the Senate are Nancy Binay, Loren Legarda, Risa Hontiveros, and Laila de Lima, now detained for drug-related charges.
The current Senate president is Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto who is to end his term this June 30,2019.
Villar’s husband, Manny, served as Senate president in 2006 until 2010 where he ran for President, losing to senator Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino.
Villar, in her speech before the 3,000 women who gathered at the city’s gymnasium led by Mayor Carmen Cari, said that she would like to see women become empowered by having their own source of income of their own, thereby lessening their dependency to their husbands.
Sen. Villar asked the women to have their own income adding that there are livelihood programs that they could avail.
“It’s my advocacy, especially for women,” she said.
Villar, among the strong favorites to win based on various pre-election surveys on the May 13 elections, said that she would continue to push for the improvement on the living conditions of the country’s farmers reason why she would like to keep the chairmanship on the committee on agriculture.
“Poverty remains to be the biggest problem of the country,” she said.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

Plans now underway for its 500th year in 2021

LIMAWASA, Southern Leyte-About 3,000 Roman Catholic faithful gathered in Limasawa Island, Southern Leyte for this year’s 498th first mass celebration Sunday (March 31).
No less than the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia attended the celebration.
He was joined by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, Palo Archbishop John Du and Maasin Bishop Precioso Cantillas.
“Almost 500 years ago, they just said the mass with few people. It was like a seed put in the soil. Now, that seed has become a big tree,” said Caccia in his homily.
“The presence of the Church and the presence of Christianity has shaped this country and the entire world,” he added.
The apostolic nuncio said the first Catholic mass held by Ferdinand Magellan and his Spanish army along with the local settlers “reminds us that the beginning is always small, something that seems not so important.”
“Who knew at that time that in a remote island in the Pacific somebody was saying the mass? Back there, they didn’t even know that there were lands and islands here,” he said.
“We are grateful to those who came. But as they came, they went. But faith stays,” added Caccia in his homily.
According to him, the legacy of the first mass “is not only language and culture but the gift of knowledge of true God.”
The mass was also attended by Southern Leyte Representative Roger Mercado, Governor Damian Mercado, and other local officials.
In his message, Cantillas urged the Catholics to “continue to share the faith.”
Rommel Labastida, a resident of the island, said he is “happy and excited” to join the celebration.
“The first mass activity strengthens my religion,” said the 34-year-old man.
Abbie Jean Tampos, 26, a resident of Maasin City, said the event “has renewed my faith.”
“As a youth leader, we are looking at this celebration as a stepping stone for our youths to further understand and embrace their Catholic belief,” Tampos said.
Meantime, Regional Tourism Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said that they are looking for the bigger celebration of the First Mass on 2021 as it would marked its 500th year.
“We’re now trying to drumbeat the activities on an escalating level in anticipation of the 500th year celebration of the first mass on 2021,” she said.
For his part, Gov. Mercado said that the province is also doing its own preparation with the projected influx of tourists to the island.
Infrastructure in the island like the road network is being improved and new port was also constructed in Magallanes village, the main area of the celebration.
Additional structures is also planned to be erected at the First Mass Shrine compound.
Tiopes said majority of the visitors on the island are pilgrims, noting that part of the celebration is the visit of Sto. Nino image of Cebu City to Limasawa.
She maintained that Limasawa is an “icon destination in historical tourism” because of the first encounter of the East and West.
“We even say, this event actually gave birth to tourism. Because this is where the first cultural encounter happened between the natives who were here in Limasawa and the Westerners who were part of the fleet of Magellan,” Tiopes said.
Aside from historical and religious tourism, Tiopes said they are positioning Limasawa as “must-see visit here in Eastern Visayas for the different activities people can do in the waters around the island.”
“Limasawa is blessed with natural wonders. It has pristine water, rich marine life. The best dive sites in Sogod Bay is found here. There is lagoon in another side of the island which makes you feel like you’re in a paradise because of its beauty,” she said.
According to the tourism director, they were able to train and develop 41 households for “homestay program” to help accommodate visitors on the island.
“We only have few accommodation facilities. Visitors on the island would also expect to go camping,” said Tiopes.
Since there is no star-rated hotel on the island yet, Tiopes said that accommodation in Limasawa is “very affordable.’
However, part of their job is to hone the skills of the tourism service providers and check on their services to see more room for improvement.
“As far as DOT is concerned, we’re also here to observe and to project the number of visitors on 2021, and to see in what manner we, together with the Southern Leyte provincial government, the local government of Limasawa and the church, can work together to prepare the island to the larger influx of visitors on 2021,” Tiopes said.
While she talked about the government’s plan to enhance the replica cross and other structures in Limasawa, Tiopes also looked forward that the controversy surrounding the first mass will end the soonest time.
“For the longest time, there has been that controversy. We leave that to the experts. We hope and pray that this issue will be put to rest so both people in Southern Leyte and Butuan will finally have peace of mind and no longer be squabbling on this issue.
Leyte-based historian Rolando Borrinaga said he is already inching towards solving the controversy as he is set to deliver his latest research with the National Quincentennial Committee of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines on April 25-27, 2019 in Limasawa and Maasin City.
According to his study, Borrinaga pointed out that Limasawa was the site of the first mass.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA,
RONALD O. REYES)