With only few takers

MAASIN CITY – Officials of Southern Leyte are calling those who are qualified to take advantage of a scholarship program it is offering for those who want to become doctors.
For some reasons, only few are taking advantage of the medical scholarship program which was introduced by former governor and now congressman, Roger Mercado.
“We need more applicants for this program to address the lack of doctors in our hospitals,” Mercado said.
At present, only 20 students have availed of the program of the provincial government, Governor Christopherson Yap said in a separate interview.
“Having enough doctors in the province would allow our poor constituents to have better access to medical and hospital services. Like education, taking care of the health aspect our constituents is very important for our province to grown,” the governor said.
Aside from tuition, matriculation and laboratory fees, those who will be accepted of the scholarship grant also receives free board and lodging, books, uniform, and transportation allowance.
The program was conceptualized by the provincial government under then governor Mercado after the province faced a problem on lack of doctors serving the provincial run-hospitals spread on its seven towns and in Maasin City.
Since it was implemented in 2014, the program had produced two doctors who are now serving at the Southern Leyte Provincial Hospital.
“The only requirements needed for them to be accepted in the program is to finish the pre-medical school course and be accepted in a medical school,” Rep. Mercado said.
The applicants must also send their letter of intent to the Southern Leyte Board of Medical Scholarship Program.
Mercado added that those who will become doctors after the program will have to serve five years to any of the hospitals under the provincial government. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)

By: ROGER C.MELO

Amandangay Elementary School was one of the three schools in Tabontabon District, Tabontabon, Leyte that was chosen by DepEd to become a recipient of Gulayan sa Paaralan Program . We were thankful then of this big opportunity and privilege for this would be of big help to the families of our school children since most of them are low income earners and besides most of them are 4Ps members.
In this connection, our school were given by DepEd P10, 000 to start the program. We bought different garden tools, seeds and other materials to be used in the implementation of the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program.
After that, I, together with the teaching force of our school called for a Parent’s Meeting at once to inform them of the said program and amount given by our department.
During the meeting, it was decided that we will have our gulayan at the back of our school buildings since we have a wider space there. Immediately the day after, the parents came to our school to help in the Pintakasi.
Many of our parents, barangay officials and even the LGU of the municipality of Tabontabon were so supportive of our program.
The Municipal agriculturist Arturo Juanico, together with his staff visited our school. They gave us an orientation on the different strategies in raising different vegetable products. They also gave us some seeds and organic fertilizers.
As of now, we already started the program. The parents already planted different seeds like ampalaya, okra, tomatoes, pechay, string beans, patola, kangkong and eggplant. They will still plant other vegetable plants like squash, pipino and watermelon.
We are hoping that our Gulayan sa Paaralan Program would prosper. This would be of big help in our school to support and sustain our other program which is the School Based Feeding Program. Also, since most of the families of our pupils are low income earners this would help them in their day to day living .
All of these would help banish malnutrition in our school and alleviate poverty in our beloved barangay – Barangay Amandangay, Tabontabon, Leyte. (Note: the author is a teacher of the Amandangay Elementary School, Tabontabon, Leyte)

TACLOBAN CITY – The province of Leyte has extended financial assistance to the six policemen who died during a misencounter in Sta.Rita, Samar.
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla told Leyte Samar Daily Express in an interview over the weekend that his office has extended a total of P120,000 to the six victims of the misencounter with the government troops on June 25.
Gov.Petilla said that each victim was given P20,000.
He added that the financial assistance was given by the provincial administrator Atty. Edgardo Cordeño to the relatives of the slain policemen.
The six police men who died and were recipients of the financial assistance were: PO1 Wyndell Noromor of Matag-ob town; PO1 Edwin Ebrado of Matalom; PO1 Phil Rey Mendigo of Tanauan; PO1 Julius Suarez of Carigara; PO1 Rowell Reyes of San Isidro Northern Samar; and PO1 Julie Escalo of Basey, Samar.
The killed policemen who were on patrol duties engaged in firefight with members of the 87th Infantry Battalion.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

ORMOC CITY-A thousand T-shirts for a week-long celebration.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Leyte Fourth District Engineering Office (DEO) has given over 1,000 navy blue t-shirts to the City Social Welfare and Development, Monday morning, (July 16).
The said t-shirts were intended to be distributed and be used by persons with disability (PWDs) for their 40th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Celebration for 2018.
This was part of the department’s support to the week-long celebration conducted by the CSWDO from July 16 to 22, 2018, with the theme, “Kakayahan at Kasanayan para sa Kabuhayan Tungo sa Kaunlaran”.
To raise awareness about the inherent rights and privileges of PWDs, the celebration on National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week was declared to be held every third week of July.
This is in accordance with Presidential Proclamation No. 361 dated August 19, 2000, and Administrative Order No. 35 dated May 3, 2002, directing all government offices to hold activities promoting the annual observance of the said celebration. (PIA8-Southern Leyte, with a report from AMALE LARRAZABAL)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) will map out plans to further develop pili nuts in Northern Samar province, citing the product’s high demand in the global market.
Key officials of DA and Department of Trade and Industry(DTI) and other stakeholders will sit down to draft for the first time a pili nuts roadmap in the region, said Francisco Dayap, chief of DA regional field operations division.
“Northern Samar is the priority since the production have been established in that province considering their proximity to Bicol Region where many areas are known for pili planting. In fact, many pili nuts processors in Bicol get their raw materials in Northern Samar,” Dayap said.
Pili nuts is widely cultivated in the towns of Lavezares, Allen, San Isidro, and Bobon in Northern Samar. These towns are close to the seaport that links Northern Samar to Sorsogon.
The province has an estimated 15,000 pili trees planted in 90 to 100 hectares owned by local farmers.
“In the roadmap, we will outline how to support and reinforce the pili nuts production in the area, expand plantation, and improve productivity. One of the support we have been giving to farmers is the distribution of grafted planting materials that yield in three years,” Dayap added.
Each tree yields 60 to 100 kilograms each year. Harvesting is year round but peak harvest is June and July.
The Philippines has the monopoly for pili nuts on the foreign market. The product is exported to countries like South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
The pili nut is endemic in the country. It has a different uses from its tree that can be used for landscaping, the young shoots and the fruit pulp of pili are edible, its roots can prevents landslides, and many more.
Pili nuts also contain about 23 percent oil that may be used for lighting, cooking and in the manufacture of soaps, shampoos, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and industrial products. The shell makes an excellent cooking fuel and can be made into attractive ornaments.
The kernel is edible raw, roasted, fried or sugar-coated, and is also used in making cakes, puddings and ice cream.

As timber, the wood is characterized by fine striated grains making it very ideal for the manufacture of high quality furniture, wall panels, carved doors, and other wooden products. The rootstock could also be utilized for wood carvings and tool handles. (MELVA MAE C.MENIANO)

TACLOBAN CITY – The MASA Health Service Unit of the Tacloban City Government reported serving some 3,634 during the second quarter of this year.
Of the total number of patients served, 2, 259 were adults and 1,375 pediatrics.
Located on the second floor of the Tacloban City Public Market, the health unit offers free health services to indigent residents of the City.
From April to June, the unit conducted health education to its clientele on smoking cessation tuberculosis management and prevention, dengue; lifestyle modification, proper use of antibiotics and oral health.
Other health services offered by the office are community visits, pre-natal check-ups, HIV testing, drug dependency examination, physical examinations, PHILHEALTH profiling and referrals of patients to various health facilities.
Consultations were also made on patients with upper respiratory tract infection, hypertension, bronchial asthma, urinary tract infection, and pneumonia, among others during the same period.
Meantime, medical missions and outreach activities conducted by the health unit during the second quarter include one in Brgy. 68, the Divine Mercy Cooperative, and the Anti-Smoking/COPD spirometry testing held at the Tacloban City Training Center on April 13 and May 18, 2018.
Labs ko a Lawas ko, a healthy lifestyle advocacy program of the MASA Health Unit also led a number of activities like Zumba, BMI CBG testing, and medical consultation.
MASA is a priority program of Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez that seeks to improve healthy lifestyle, prevent diseases and alleviate the suffering of indigent Tacloban residents through its different programs and services.
(HENRY JAMES ROCA/CIO)