In Eastern Samar

TACLOBAN CITY- About eight regular employees of the provincial government in Eastern Samar have sought relief before the Civil Service Commission (CSC)on their transfer.
On their petition, Helen Cadalin, Cirilo Quinsayas, Rowel Moscosa, Gwendolina Gunda, Rosie Rapal, Ariel Evardone, Vivian Lavado, and Norodom Victor Pinarok claimed that the detail order issued to them by Governor Marcelo Ferdinand Picardal should be recalled describing it ‘whimsical, capricious, and illegal.’
The appellants, on their January 23 joint petition, said that the move of Gov. Picardal was in contrary to CSC Resolution Number 1800692, or the Omnibus on Appointments and other Human Resource Actions.
They claimed that they were removed from their respective posts and offices and were transferred to their new assignments of which they were not trained or familiar.
They also claimed that the detail order issued to them by Gov. Picardal is being construed by them as a constructive removal as it did not indicated the number of days or months on their stay to their new assignments.
“We low salaried rank and file employees, individually received such document purporting to be re-assign/detail order without prior written notice, information and/or hearing on the reasons, nature and cause of our individual transfer/detail from the Office of the Governor and/or the Human Resource Management Office,” they said on their joint petition.
The affected personnel, prior to their reassignments, belong to different offices under the Office of Governor like the Provincial Planning and Development Office, Provincial Legal Office, Provincial Social Welfare and Development, Human Resource, and Provincial Agriculture.
All were reassigned to different district hospitals in the province like the Albino M. Duran Memorial Hospital based in Balangiga town; Felipe Abrigo Memorial Hospital in Guiuan; Taft District Hospital; Quinapondan Community District Hospital, among others.
The transfer of these affected employees were made by Gov. Picardal due to ‘exigency of service.’
Earlier, provincial administrator George Erroba said that the governor initiated the transfer of several provincial employees where they could best serve the people of Eastern Samar.
Erroba also dismissed insinuations that the transfer was politically-motivated. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO, Leyte-Anti-drug elements of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-8) together with the Bato Municipal Police Station arrested a drug personality during the conduct of a buy-bust operation at Barangay Dalho, Bato Leyte on February 21, 2019 at around 2:02 pm.
In a report submitted to PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino elements of PDEA RO8-LPO and PDEA-8-RSET under Director Edgar T. Jubay together with Bato MunicipalPolice Station identified the suspect as Lowel Solante alias “Lowel Galeon”, 36, and a barangay tanod of Iniguihan District of said town.
Purchased and confiscated during the said operation was one piece of heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu weighing 0.04 gram with an estimated market value of P 272.
The suspect will be facing charges for violation of Section 5 (sale of dangerous drugs), Article II of RA 9165.
Solante is now temporarily detained at Bato MPS Lock-up Jail Facility. (PR)

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)