KANANGA, Leyte- The Pahulam Tulong Pangkabuhayan Program (PTPP) of the municipal government of this town released checks worth P250,000 to recipients of the said program.
Mayor Rowena Codilla, Vice Mayor Elmer Codilla and Sangguniang Bayan members led the distribution of checks amounting to P 10,000 for each beneficiary.
The recipients are mostly stall occupants at the public market of this town.
Mayor Codilla said that her administration allocated some P 3.6 million for the Pahulam Program of which P785,500 has been already released to 15 groups involving 90 individuals.
There are 42 groups that are still on-process according to Wineliza Sanchez Seromines, of the municipal livelihood office.
Mayor Codilla said that this program is designed for micro-enterpreneurs so that they will not go to loan sharks which burdened them with high interest.
She said that she wanted that this program will benefit more Kanangahanons.
She also said that she will study the possibility to extend this program to municipal government employees.
The mayor said that this town is the only LGU in the region that has this kind of program for micro-enterpreneurs thru PTPP.
The program is a three year old program that started in 2013.
Former mayor and now Vice Mayor Elmer Codilla explained that they replicate this program from the municipality of Sto. Tomas in Batangas during the LGU’s development field study sometime in 2012.
Since they learned about from the program, Codilla said that they invited the LGU employees of Sto. Tomas who trained the local employees here about the program.
(GERARDO C. REYES JR.)

CALBAYOG CITY- A new township is being mulled by the city government to expand the development of this city. This was disclosed by Mayor Ronald Aquino who said that the move will help decongest the city proper adding that government offices, to include the City Hall, will be constructed at the “New Calbayog City.” While Calbayog is the country’s third biggest city in land area (880.74 km2), its infrastructure development and businesses are largely focused at the city proper. The proposed new site is located at the Tomalon Estate, four kms away from the city proper. Two architectural firms from Metro Manila had signified their interest to work with the city government in conducting a feasibility study for creating the Tomalon Estate as uptown Calbayog City. Road network construction to the area funded by the city government worth P60 million for the transversal road and another P30 million to connect with the main road is ongoing. “We cannot expand the city proper so we are planning to relocate the City Hall, the national government offices and develop a new site for Calbayog,” Mayor Aquino explained. Aquino said that the city government owns 27 hectares in the area but needs an additional 83 hectares or a total of 100 hectares to construct the proposed Calbayog uptown. The City Assessor’s Office is now identifying the land owners to be acquired by the city government. Aquino added that the city government is contemplating to partner with the Land Bank of the Philippines or the Development Bank of the Philippines to acquire a loan in developing Tomalon Estate as the new Calbayog City.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) has declared a diarrhea outbreak in a village in Almagro, Samar after the water-borne disease has downed 40 residents over the past two weeks.
DOH regional epidemiology and surveillance unit chief Roderick Boyd Cerro said local health officials traced the plague to the contamination of dug well, a major source of drinking water in Barangay Panjobjoban II, a farming and fishing village with 100 households.
“About 33 residents were confined at the Calbayog District Hospital since October 5 for suffering of diarrhea (symptoms). The rest underwent treatment at the rural health unit,” Cerro said.
The district hospital is the nearest health facility to the island town of Almagro. The only means of access to Almagro is by motorboat from the port of Calbayog City, taking usually up to two hours of travel.
“The water source is just near the residential area without toilet and canal. The contamination is very obvious even without laboratory tests confirmation,” Cerro added.
The local government has already ordered the closure of the water source. The health department has provided oral rehydration solution for affected residents and jerry cans for proper water storage.
Massive information drive on diarrhea prevention has been launched in Almagro town.
Diarrhea is characterized by stomach pain, headache, body weakness and watery stools. The worst is dehydration that can cause death.
From April to July this year, diarrhea outbreak in different parts of the region has killed 81 people and afflicted 9,432 others. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)

Contrary to “Bato’s” statement

TACLOBAN CITY-The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said that there is no shabu laboratory existing in the region. But still, PDEA Regional Director Edgar Jubay said that they will continue their monitoring if there could be a shabu laboratory existence in any part of the region. During his recent visit in the region, Police Director General Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa mentioned of a shabu laboratory at the Abuyog Penal Colony in Abuyog, Leyte. Jubay said that the shabu circulating in the region came from Cebu, Metro Manila and Mindanao passing through from its various ports. The region’s alleged top drug lord, Kerwin Espinosa, who was arrested on Monday in Abu Dhabi, got his supply from Cebu, Jubay said. Jubay added that they continue on their monitoring of individuals link to illegal drug, to include those mentioned by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte. Jubay added that the intensified campaign against the proliferation of illegal drugs had resulted to reduction of illegal drug supply in the region. Although one of the top illegal drug operators in the country is from the region, records shows that the situation is still “manageable,” the PDEA regional chief said. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)