TACLOBAN CITY- The National Electrification Administration (NEA) administrator Edgardo Masongsong is confident that the power rate in the region would reduce with all of its 11 electric cooperatives attaining a triple A category.
The NEA administrator assured that with the triple A categories of almost all electric cooperatives in the region, power rates is bound to reduce.
At present, the average power rate in the region is at P9.35 per kilowatt hour.
Masongsong said that except for the Northern Samar Electric Cooperative (Norsamelco), all the electric cooperatives in the region are now categorized as triple A, the highest category being given by NEA to an electric cooperative in the country.
“It is the first time that almost all electric cooperatives in a region is categorized triple A except for one,” the NEA administrator said.
Masongsong explained that although Norsamelco is the lone electric cooperative who failed to achieve a triple A category, it has shown tremendous improvement for the past years now which could led for it to achieve a triple A rating.
Report of mismanagement has led Norsamelco, the electric cooperative which covers the entire Northern Samar province, for it to be declared in the brink of bankruptcy which resulted for the NEA to take over its management in 2013.
Masongsong added that performance is not only about achieving a triple A category but also by reducing the systems loss and achieving a 100 percent collection efficiency which could lead to a reduction of power rate.
The 11 electric cooperatives in the region have been consistently efficient on their financial, institutional, and technical areas of operation thus the category.
The performance rating is based on two criteria, namely, the Key Performance Standards or KPS (80 percent) and the electric cooperatives classification (ECC) (20 percent).
The KPS cover 32 financial, institutional, technical and reportorial compliances indicators and standards, while the ECC covers seven financially driven standards and parameters, including power accounts to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.
Using the KPS and ECC, corresponding ratings were given to scores garnered by ECs, as follows: 95-100 =AAA; 90-94=AA; 85-89=A; 75-84=B; 50-74=C; and 49 and below=D.
Masongsong attended the first ever regional Lumens Awards held in Calbayog City Friday giving recognition to the achievements of the electric cooperatives in the region.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

Killings of mayors

TACLOBAN CITY-While they are concerned on the killings involving mayors, Leyte mayors still considers the incidents as ‘isolated.’
This was disclosed by Barugo town Mayor Ma. Rosario Avestruz, spokesperson of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Leyte chapter.
Avestruz, in a phone interview Thursday (July 5), was reacting on the killings just days apart of Mayor Antonio Halili of Batangas City, Bataan, and Mayor Ferdinand Bote of General Tinio, Nueva Ecija.
The incidents, which are still under investigations by police authorities, raised fears among mayors of the country.
“While we are concerned on these incidents, we still consider them as isolated case(s). We don’t see them as really targeting the mayors,” Avestruz said.
The Barugo mayor, who is serving on her first term, said that their league will convene sometime next week to formally discuss the matter.
Avestruz added that all of the 41 town mayors of Leyte will continue to have their police security escorts.
“We continue to support all the programs of President Duterte,” she said.
About 10 mayors of the country have been killed under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte among them was the mayor of Albuera, Leyte in 2016.
Mayor Rolando Espinosa was gunned down inside his cell at the Leyte sub-provincial jail in Baybay City on November 5,2016 by members of the Criminal Investigation Group (CIDG) purportedly to serve a warrant for illegal possession of firearm.
Espinosa was tagged by Mr. Duterte as among the country’s mayors who are in the illegal drug trade.
His son, Kerwin, is now detained at Camp Crame due to his alleged drug-dealing activities which he is denying.
Meantime, Marjorie Jaramilla, regional president of Mr.Duterte’s political party, PDP-Laban,downplayed the killing incidents involving some of the country’s mayors.
Jaramilla said that it is not the policy of the administration of Mr. Duterte to kill mayors or any one.
“I think it is not fair to blame the President on these killings. He has nothing in mind but for the goodness of the country and the Filipino people,” she said in a separate interview.
She also assured the mayors, at least in the region, that they have the support of the President as they implement their respective programs and projects.
She disclosed that more than 90 percent of the region’s 143 city and town mayors are now aligned with the PDP-Laban.

BY: JOEY A. GABIETA

TACLOBAN CITY — Food gardening is seen as a strategy to combat malnutrition among children in Eastern Visayas, the National Nutrition Council (NNC) said as the country celebrates Nutrition Month.
Citing surveys, NNC regional program coordinator Catalino Dotollo said only 67 percent of households in the country have vegetable gardens, depriving families from consuming nutritious foods.
During the Nutrition Month launching in this city on Tuesday (July 3), Dotollo said non-consumption of vegetables due to absence of food garden contributed to high rates of stunting and underweight in Eastern Visayas.
In 2017, about 20.8 percent of children in Eastern Visayas suffered growth stunting while 9.8 percent of them are underweight. Most of these children are in poverty-stricken Samar provinces.
“Household food security is an essential measure of nutritional status and health. Data from the National Nutrition Surveys show that the percent of households with daily intake below the recommended 100 percent dietary energy requirement, actually increased from 57 percent in 2003 to 66.9 percent in 2008,” Dotollo explained.
The survey also revealed that 28.6 percent of mothers and caregivers experienced food insecurity. Among households, 72.7 percent were considered food insecure because they suffered anxiety that food may run out before they can get money to buy more, according to Dotollo.
The NNC has tied up with the Department of Agriculture and other agencies to promote the establishment of food gardens.
“Food gardens address food and nutrition security by providing direct access to a variety of nutritionally-rich foods, increase purchasing power from savings, and generate additional income,” Dotollo added.
The agri sector is encouraged to issue policies supportive of food gardens, provision of free seminars and trainings on gardening, provision of seeds and other planting materials, promotion of food gardening, promotion of urban gardening in cities and municipalities.
Other recommended activities include documentation of successful food gardens, local dietary supplementation programs to source ingredients from local food gardens, food gardening contests, organizing farmers’ markets to provide a venue to sell produce from food gardens, and conduct of village cooking contests using harvested produce.
Nutrition Month is a yearly campaign held every July to create greater awareness among Filipinos on the importance of nutrition. Presidential Decree 491 or the Nutrition Act of the Philippines mandates the NNC to lead and coordinate the nationwide campaign.
The chosen theme for this year is “Ugaliing magtanim, sapat an nutrisyon aanihin!”
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

CATBALOGAN CITY-Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan pictured her city as one of the fastest booming cities in the region, if not in the country, as she delivered her fifth State of the City Address (Soca) on Tuesday (July 3).
Uy-Tan, in her more than an hour Soca held at the provincial gymnasium, said that Catbalogan City is now attracting investors which could spur its economic development and provide employment generation for its people.
In particular, the city mayor cited her ambitious Sky City Mega Project which she envisions as a new commercial area.
“It’s an ambitious project but will have a long impact to the city and its people,” Uy-Tan said in an interview.
She disclosed that the 40-hectare Sky City Mega Project, located in four contiguous villages just outside the city proper, has already attracted several investors.
One of them is the proposed Oriental Samar Hotel with the construction expected to start anytime this year.
Uy-Tan also said that the management of the SM has also signified their plan to put up their ‘full shopping mall in the area.’
It is in the area that a new city hall, occupying 1.6 hectares, will also be constructed along with different government line offices.
Residential spaces will also be available in the sprawling area, the city mayor said.
And right at the heart of the city proper, a modern four-storey market is also to rise to be constructed by the Primark Town Center.
The coming of investors to Catbalogan City, the provincial capital of Samar province, is an indication that it is now one of the fastest emerging city in the region, if not in the country, Mayor Uy-Tan said.
The investors will not only spur economic growth of the city but more importantly, provide employment to the locals, she added.
Providing jobs to her people is one of the priority programs of her administration why they have tied up with other government agencies and private companies in conducting jobs fairs, Mayor Uy-Tan said.
She disclosed that last year, for example, 2,200 people were able to find jobs because of the jobs fairs her administration has initiated.
In 2017, 1,537 establishments are operating across the city providing employment to the residents of the city, providing more than P67 million to local revenue.
Mayor Uy-Tan also said that she is pushing for the city to become a tourist hub in the region as she reported in her Soca that tourist arrivals in the city is increasing.
Last year, 95,000 tourists visited Catbalogan, which was higher compare to the more than 81,000 guests in 2016.
The operation of its Buri Airport is an addition factor why its tourism industry is slowly booming, Uy-Tan said.
Mayor Uy-Tan also said that her administration is also addressing the poor infrastructure of the city as well as its drainage problem, ensuring quality education particularly among its public schools and providing quality health services among its poor people. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

After Mindanao assignment

CALBAYOG CITY- After almost two years of deployment in Mindanao, members of the 63rd Infantry Battalion have returned home as officials and their loved ones joyously waited at them as they disembarked in a Philippine Air Force plane Thursday (July 5) morning at this city’s airport.
The soldiers, led by their commanding officer Lt.Col.Rizaldo Laurena, were assigned in Jolo, Sulu on August 31,2016 to help fight members of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group and in 2017, were deployed to Marawi City to neutralize another terror group, the Maute Group.
About eight soldiers of the 63rd IB were killed and 30 were wounded during their assignment in Mindanao.
On Thursday morning, 50 personnel of the 63rd IB, four of them officers, arrived home with the remaining of more than 100 soldiers expected to come home soon.
The weary but excited soldiers were welcomed by B/ General Eliezer Losañes, deputy commanding officer of the 8th Infantry Division, and Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino.
Their loved ones were also around to welcome the soldiers.
Sonia Cabrera, a cousin of one of the soldiers, was delighted that her cousin has returned safely.
“I am happy that my cousin is now here, he is back and safe,” Cabrera said.
Other family members of the soldiers were delighted and happy upon seeing their loved ones.
In his message, Mayor Aquino expressed his appreciation to the soldiers for their heroic act in Mindanao.
“We welcome you back home, saluting you in making our country a peaceful place to live,” the city mayor said.
He also acknowledged the returning soldiers of their contribution in the stability of Mindanao and their effort in the fast recovery of Marawi City.
“We hope that you will continue to be the vanguards of democracy that we are enjoying and will continue to serve our people,” Aquino further said.
Meanwhile, BGen Losañes said that the soldiers had shown how to be heroes with their sacrifices while in Mindanao.
“The sacrifices made by Filipino soldiers is not observed by public but it does not serve as a hindrance for you to offer yourself for the country,” he said, adding said that the people in Mindanao will forever be grateful to the members of the 63rd IB for what they did to attain peace in their area.
Losañes said that the arrival of the 63rd IB soldiers are timely as government troops in the region continue to press on their campaign against members of the New Peoples’ Army.
“As the focus of the campaign plan shifts to this region, your service will have an important role in this quest,” he said.
The soldiers, whose original base is in Las Navas, Northern Samar, were deployed to the headquarters of the 43rd IB in San Jorge, Samar. (JENNIFER SUMAGANG-ALLEGADO)