CAMP CARLOS DELGADO, CATARMAN, Northern Samar- A total of 80 expired firearm license holders came to the Northern Samar Provincial Police Office (NSPPO) on September 15 to avail of the provisional license to own and possess firearms or LTOPF.
The grant of provisional license is valid within nine months and it covers expired firearm licenses prior enactment of RA 10951 otherwise known as “Comprehensive Firearms Law’ which was approved last May 19, 2013.
The caravan was jointly facilitated by NSPOPB and RCSU8 that directly monitor all firearm license holders, as well loose firearms, in the province and entire region, respectively.
With the caravan, the opportunity to renew the license was more beneficial and practical to the holders as their processing expenses were being defrayed.
Applicants secured the indispensable requirements such as application form, proof of payment and proof of billing before approval of the license.
Supt. Jesus S. Miranda said that the caravan is very much important as expired licenses of firearms were given opportunity again to legally possess and own their firearms.
He added that mere carrying of unlicensed firearms amounts to a crime already, as such, owners are encouraged to acquire a license.
Meanwhile, S/Supt.Felix Diloy expressed his gratitude to all firearms holders who participated in said caravan and surrender all loose firearms which may not be covered by the provisional license for the proper accounting.
“The campaign to account all loose firearms is one of the steps to curb criminal activities as a lot of unlicensed firearms are utilized by the criminals,” he clarified.
He expects that more firearms holders would come to NSPPO in the succeeding caravan and avail of the provisional license. (PR)

MANILA-The governments of the Philippines and the United States will embark on a bilateral, interagency counterterrorism drill, Tempest Wind, in mid-September intended to test and improve the ability of both nations to rapidly plan, coordinate, and conduct counterterrorism operations.
The whole-of-government drill will be augmented by additional military assessments, national level engagement, and subject matter expert exchanges. These events will take place in the Philippines and Hawaii and are designed to create a realistic environment to exercise counterterrorism strategy, including senior decision-making and tactical responses, while deepening the bilateral partnership.
In addition to important information exchanges, Tempest Wind is recognized as a way to test force readiness and exercise interoperability. These assessments will help to focus future bilateral training efforts to enhance the crisis response capabilities of both nations.
The Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board approved Tempest Wind in November 2016, highlighting the enduring commitment of both countries to the U.S.-Philippine alliance.
The United States is a proud ally of the Philippines and will continue to provide support and assistance to Philippine counterterrorism efforts and work jointly to address shared threats to the peace and security of both countries. (PR)

PALO, Leyte- With the aim of getting a bigger chunk of the budget pie, the Regional Development Council (RDC) asked national government agencies and state-run schools in Eastern Visayas to start drafting the proposed 2019 budget before the end of the month.
The region’s highest policy-making body aims to complete within the week the orientation of the 2019 budget review process.
“This is an initiative of RDC Eastern Visayas. It’s better to start early for us to have more time to prepare documents, consult, and review all the proposed budget,” said RDC vice chairperson Bonifacio Uy, regional chief of the National Economic Development Authority.
From September 24 to November 8, 2017, government agencies and state universities and colleges are expected to prepare budget proposals, consult with civil society organizations, submit forms, conduct technical review, undergo RDC sectoral committee review, and RDC full council review.
The proposed 2019 outlay is in line with the Regional Development Plan 2017-2022, Result Matrix, and the Regional Development Investment Program (RDIP), Uy said.
The plan and the matrix spell out the priority development directions and targets while the RDIP outlines the priority development programs, projects, and activities of the region in the next six years.
“Early budget review will ensure that proposed budgets will push for fund allocations for investment that support regional development priorities along human, economic and infrastructure development, including that of the post-disaster rehabilitation and recovery needs,” Uy explained.
Department of Trade and Industry Regional Director Cynthia Nierras, chair of the RDC economic development committee, said early budget review will help address the problem of a long and difficult process of procurement.
“Through early budget preparation, we are influencing the head offices to come up with proposed project items early for prioritization by the Department of Budget and Management,” she said.
The budget review and consultation will cover 47 departments and other attached agencies and 10 state universities and colleges based in the region’s six provinces.
Eastern Visayas region needs at least P430 billion for priority activities under the draft 2017-2022 RDIP.
The funding initially listed by officials from government and private sector is up for approval by the RDC in its third quarter meeting on September 28.
Eastern Visayas or Region 8 is the third poorest among 18 regions in the country. As of 2015, the region’s poverty incidence among families is pegged at 30.7 percent, which means that three out of every 10 families in the region are poor.
However, in 2016, its gross regional domestic product grew by 12.4 percent, the fastest growing region in the country, offsetting economic losses incurred from super typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
(SARWELL Q.MENIANO with reports from REYNADEL F. COSTILLAS/PNA)

For the last 6 years

TACLOBAN CITY- More than 1,000 volunteers joined the recently-held Oplan Broadcastreeing project held at Barangay 100, a northern village of this city.
DILG-8 Regional Director Marivel Sacendoncillo told reporters in an interview that the tree planting activity led by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) together with the Department of Interior and Local Government(DILG)
and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), is getting stronger, now on its sixth year of implementation.
“The tree planting activity was a success, however, let us urge everyone to likewise care for tree growing aside from tree planting,” Sacendoncillo said.
Arturo Salazar, DENR assistant regional director for management services, said that the activity was able to plant 1,890 fruit trees in a 3.5 hectare hilly area identified by DENR as planting site under the expanded National Greening Program (eNGP).
Records from the DENR, DILG, and KBP show that since 2011, Oplan Broadcastreeing has already planted at least 33,000 trees throughout the region.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)