ISABEL, Leyte – The municipal government is mulling the idea of providing civil registry documents to the members of Badjao tribe living in this town.
By giving them registry documents, they can enjoy benefits that are being provided by the rest of the residents, said town Mayor Saturnino Medina.
Isabel is home to 69 Badjao families comprising of 277 individuals.
“Although shelter assistance had been given now to Badjao community, many things is need to be done to make sure that they will really feel that they belong to the community and receive assistance from the government like any other ordinary Filipino does. But they can’t benefit from these services and assistance because most of them are not yet registered,” Mayor Medina said.
“Many of them are not yet registered at the Civil Registrar Office. A lot of them are still undocumented,” he added.
According to Medina, the Badjaos remain without any civil documents because they fear that they might just be rejected or ridiculed if they seek these documents before the local registry office
The town mayor said that if these Badjaos will have their documents, they could avail benefits being provided by the government like the 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) and stop begging in the streets just to earn money to sustain their daily needs.
“For the Badjao people to receive assistance from the government they must be registered at the civil registrar office,” Media said.
Most of the Badjaos in the town are into fishing, carpentry and other menial jobs.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

Projected to help congestion problem in Calbayog City

CALBAYOG CITY-The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the first district of Samar has started the implementation of a P350 million bypass road project.
The project is divided in three points: the first where it starts in Barangay San Policarpo; the second that acts as a midpoint access is in Brgy. Aguit-Itan; and the last one is in Brgy. Rawis where it ends.
The 4-lanes road project has a total length of 4.6732 kms.and covers bank and slope protection works and other structures.
According to project Engineer Ramon Calagos, the construction of the bridge and concreting of the road is not included in the budget.
“The P350 million budget is only for the phase 1 of the project. It does not include the concreting and the construction of the bridge that will be located in Brgy. Aguit-itan,” Calagos said.
He added that the road will pass thru the seashores of the seven coastal barangays in the city and assured that mangrove plantations will not be affected.
The official further stated that the project is needed as an alternate route to help decongest the traffic in the city proper.
“The increasing volume of vehicles coming in and out of the city congest the road so we need to do something to help control it,” Engr. Calagos said.
Although the Calbayog City Diversion Road was already opened to traffic earlier, still traffic situation in the city is still a problem.
“This project just like the Calbayog Diversion Road will help in solving our traffic problems and help in bringing economic development in our place,” Calagos further added.
The project is being implemented by B. Vicencio construction, which according to Engr. Calagos will be finished by 2020.
Meanwhile, Rep.Edgar Mary Sarmiento (1st district) is very positive of the outcome the project will bring to Samarnons.
“This project is something for the development not only of the city but the entire province as well,” Sarmiento said.
He added that with the non-stop increase of the number of vehicles passing thru the city from Luzon to Mindanao and vice-versa, an alternate road such as this bypass road will be very helpful.
“Calbayog is the center where vehicles coming from Luzon and Mindanao passes thru. With this, they now have an alternate route aside from the city proper and the diversion road,” Sarmiento said.
(JENNIFER SUMAGANG-ALLEGADO)

TACLOBAN CITY-The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Regional Welfare Office VIII continue to intensify its link with partner agencies and municipalities in the region through memorandum of agreement signings.
Last April 16, 2018 two more municipalities in the province of Samar have showed their support to the agency as they signed MOA with OWWA RWO 8.
Municipal Mayor Danilo V. Tan of Tarangnan, Samar and Joseph B. Grey of San Jorge, OIC, Regional Director, Mary Catherine Pastor and OIC, Programs and Services Division Chief Arlene F. Salloman and the OFW Help Desks Officers of the respective municipalities were present during the signing.
Family Welfare Officer Emily Calutan requested for a list of OFWs for formation of OFW Family Circles in the two municipalities.
Calutan will also conduct an orientation on OWWA’s Programs and Services along with barangay officials of Tarangnan and San Jorge tentatively on April 26-27, 2018.
Mayors Tan and Grey are hopeful that through the MOA signing they will be able to give their OFW constituents apt and prompt action with the help of the agency. There are already seventeen municipalities in Western Samar that has MOA with OWWA RWO 8.
(KATRINA D. OBEJERA)

TACLOBAN CITY- Vote wisely.
This was the advice of Rep. Henry Ong to voters relative to the forthcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
Ong, representing Leyte’s second congressional district, also asked the voters to resist any vote-buying that some candidates may resort just to win in the May 14 balloting.
“I call on my constituents to be wise in voting candidates who will truly give the best service. After all, three years is a long period when you put the wrong officials in office,” the solon said.
Ong said that candidates should not resort to any scheme like vote-buying that could thwart their rights to vote the candidates they believe would advance the interest of the barangays.
“I wish the candidates in the second district of Leyte the best of luck; may the best man and woman win. (But) please allow your constituents to decide for your fate on election day. I hope that you avoid mudslinging and character assassination,” Ong said.
“I am hoping for a clean, fair, honest and decisive barangay and SK elections come May 14,” he added.
Earlier, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has called on the electorate to vote candidates who will not resort to vote-buying but vote those who serve them well.
Voters are to elect a barangay chairman and seven members of the barangay council, same number for members of the Sangguniang Kabataan.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

BORONGAN CITY-The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Eastern Samar District Engineering Office (ESDEO) procured 3-unit high end surveying instruments amounting P3 million to improve planning and surveying capabilities of the district.
The district is now using the one unit Topcon Real Time Kinematic (RTK) and two units Total Stations which will fast track the preparation of plans during pre-detailed engineering activities.
Eastern Samar DEO is one of the districts in region VIII which is implementing high volume of projects amounting to billions of pesos, hence modern technology is highly needed to implement infra projects on time schedule and done it with accuracy.
Real Time Kinematic (RTK) position is a satellite navigation technique used to enhance the precision derived from satellite Systems (Global Navigation Satellites, GNSS) such as Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Total Station instrument is used to measure distances, angles and coordinates.
According to Nessy Jade P. Geroy, the DPWH-ESDEO geodetic engineer, the new RTK will improve the efficiency and accuracy of survey works, decrease the manpower needed and reduces the working days in the field.
Furthermore, the new surveying instrument will make quality projects designs and layout, said Arturo C. Apura, the planning and design section chief.
Meanwhile, District Engineer Manolo A. Rojas is very satisfied in procuring this new technology.
“Eastern Samar District Engineering Office is committed to implement quality infra projects. With this new technology, we can say that we can now compete globally in terms of planning services,” Rojas added.
The Planning and Design Section of Eastern Samar DEO got very satisfactory (VS) rating on design audit for two consecutive years, year 2016 and 2017.
With the help of the new procured surveying instrument, Eastern Samar DEO will enhance more its infrastructure development process to better serve the interest of stakeholders. (JAYSON G.ESPESO, Engineer II/PIO-Designate)

Be among the first to experience the Summit Hotel Tacloban brand of service and amenities at a special advance purchase rate of P3,777 net for Super Rooms!
As an initial treat to locals and foreign visitors, Summit Hotel Tacloban, the fifth property under the Summit Hotels and Resorts brand, is offering the special room rate, which includes a sumptuous breakfast by Patron Casual Dining restaurant.
The Summit Hotel Tacloban, strategically located just right next to the Robinsons Place Tacloban, serves as a portal to the rest of the Eastern Visayas. The Summit Hotels and Resorts, which had its soft opening last April 25, is a tribute to the resiliency, strength and beauty of the place and its people.
“We are proud to open our doors and set a new milestone for Tacloban as a leisure and corporate meeting destination,” says Robinsons Hotels and Resorts Business Unit General Manager Elizabeth D. Gregorio. “The sun is continuously shining bright in the city of Tacloban and it’s our pleasure to take part in letting the world know the beauty that awaits them here,” she adds.
The 138-room Summit Hotel Tacloban is the Summit Hotels and Resorts contribution to Tacloban’s thrust of “building back better” as it features design concepts and finishes that are unique to the region to achieve a tropical Filipino look with a luxurious and contemporary yet warm and welcoming vibe.
“The design takes inspiratiom from Region Eight’s colorful history [and is] a commemoration of the promising future brought about by the abundance of its natural resources and the warmth of its people despite past trials,” says the property’s architect, Albert Yu.
Yu adds that natural wood and neutral hues will be the main motif of the property, with interesting details from native stone surfaces, pretty latticework and elegant light fixtures.
Wooden arches, symbolic of Tacloban being a gateway to the region, will greet guests at the reception area. Basket-weave, coconut-leaf patterns and patterned glass will give depth and texture to various areas of the hotel, while pops of color will add a hint of fun and playfulness to the design.
The Summit Hotel Tacloban will feature six guest suites in three different designs that echo a celebration held in the region — the Sangyaw Suite, with its bold floral patterns and metallic accents, is named after the Sangyaw Festival, a local religious and socio-cultural event revived by the city government in 2008; the Lubi-Lubi Suite, with its bold leaf patterns and a variety of textures and colors, is named after the sayawlubi-lubi (coconut dance), an indigenous street parade that celebrates peace, love and unity among the city’s barangays using coco plants and materials for their costumes and props; the Pintados Suite, which will be marked by modernized symbolic tattoo patterns, is named after the Pintados Festival, a commemoration of the first inhabitants of the Visayas whose bodies were covered with tattoos.
King and Twin Super rooms, meanwhile, will feature native woodwork patterns that are reminiscent of indigenous bamboo floors of the traditional bahaykubo. All rooms, as well as communal spaces, will be furnished with mid-century modern pieces to balance the more traditional design elements.
Summit Hotels and Resorts represent the new powerful collection of unique boutique hotels with a distinct aesthetic and functional design that that are strategically located at the country’s prime business and tourism spots. Every Summit Hotel and Resort property offers unique and top-quality amenities, well-appointed guest rooms, winning brand tie-ups, and a personable brand of service from our passionate hotel teams.
The Advance Purchase Rate of P3,777 net is valid for bookings via call, website,and front desk reservations. The rate includes 31 to 35% discounts on published rates. For more information and to make a reservation, contact (02) 398-8788 / 0998-888-7788 / 0917-888-7788 or visit www.summithotels.ph. (PR)