MAASIN CITY (PIA) — The much anticipated “power” of the community to resist the COVID-19 disease, a situation now widely known as herd immunity, depends largely to the availability of vaccines.
The statement sounded familiar, for this has been the cry of various local chief executives, who strive to cover the majority of their constituents, being the only way for things to go back to normal, the old normal.
This time a ranking staff from the Department of Health (DOH) – Regional Office 8 issued the fearless forecast, with statistics to prove it is achievable.
“To attain herd immunity in the region is dependent on the availability of vaccines,” Ma. Teresa Caidic, DOH-8 vaccination rollout point person, declared during the Panidugan virtual press conference Friday hosted by Gemma Tabao, Leyte PIA infocen manager.
Asked how soon that could be, Caidic said this will be by December, without qualifying if it would be this year or next.
She said that once the region could sustain its record on vaccinating over 10,000 people in a day — and this happened on May 18 — the target of more than 821,000 individuals for A1 to A3 category all over the region can easily be reached, granting there is enough vaccines.
As of July 8, 2021, there were already 219,880 individuals belonging to the category A1 to A3 that were vaccinated, Caidic said.
A1 is for medical frontliners, A2 for senior citizens, and A3 for persons with co-morbidities, based on DOH’s list of categories.
Along the way, though, in reaching herd immunity, Caidic admitted some challenges. Foremost of which was the reluctance of senior citizens to get inoculated, saying, to give more emphasis, that senior citizens have a higher chance of being infected with the virus and experience major symptoms.
As to fear of ill-effects, Caidic was candid enough to report that as of June 30, Region 8 received a total of 1,552 reports on COVID-19 adverse effects, mostly coming from 29-30 years old, females, the common ailment was fever which was resolved within three days.
But she cleared that it is normal to experience side effects as it means that your body is reacting to the vaccine. (LDL/MMP/PIA-8/Southern Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Health (DOH) reported a high number of new recoveries of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the region on Monday (July 12).
With 210 recoveries, the number of recoveries since the pandemic started over a year ago is now 30, 705 or 94.02 percent of the total COVID-19 cases of 32, 657.
The 90 new cases were part of the 435 laboratory samples tested by three laboratories.
Of these, 432 were tested in two COVID-19 laboratories in the region – EVRCTC and DWHVL, while three were endorsed to Philippine Red Cross (PRC) – Cebu Chapter Laboratory. The total number of cases represents a 20.69% positivity rate.
EVRCTC has released a total of 271 laboratory test results. Of these, 219 were negative and 52 turned positive for COVID-19.
The DWHVL has released a total of 161 laboratory test results of which 111 were negative and 50 were positive for COVID-19.
The PRC– Cebu Chapter has released a total of 3 laboratory test results. Of these, one was negative and 2 were positive of the deadly virus.
The 90 new confirmed cases were from the following provinces, cities and municipalities:
Tacloban has 17 cases, Ormoc with 2 cases, the province of Leyte has 35 cases, Southern Leyte has two cases, Eastern Samar has 24 cases, Samar 8 cases, and Biliran with two cases.
Meanwhile, the DOH continues to appeal to the public to keep following the minimum public health standards.
It also urged the public to avail the vaccines when it reached to their respective communities. The department reiterated that vaccination is an important way to protect selves from getting the COVID-19.
(LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)

MATUGUINAO, Samar- The tourism industry in this interior town of Matuguinao is slowly changing their image that has long been tainted with violence, poverty, and insurgency and now bringing income to the local government and livelihood to its people.
Mayor Aran Boller said that since the local government developed some of their potential tourism sites, people from neighboring towns had started to flock and visits their small municipality resulting to generating income for the LGU from collection of entrance fee and livelihood to residents who put up businesses along the two cold spring.
The local government had developed two cold springs in the town located just few meters away before the town proper to show that this interior town of Samar province has more to offer since it was connected to the national highway after several decades of being isolated.
Based on the record of the LGU, Matugnaw Cold Spring which is located just few meters away from the town proper had collected more than P190,700 from January to June this year. This cold spring was developed by the local government last year.
The second, which is the Maslog Cold Spring, opened to the public two months ago, had earned more than P150,300 since its opening until last month.
The LGU collects P30 entrance fee per person from the two cold springs.
“People are no longer afraid of visiting Matuguinao. Visitors are mesmerize with our place and they realize that our town is a beautiful place,” Mayor Boller said.
Boller said that since he was elected as mayor in 2016, it was his goal to change the image of his town to improve the residents living condition.
The town mayor added that aside from the two cold springs, they are also set to develop the town’s rock formation located in Barangay Sta. Cruz.
“I can say that tourists who are coming to our town are safe because our peace and order situation here has already improved and we want to change the perception of other people on what Matuguinao is,” Boller said.
He added that there are already businessmen who visited their town and showed interest in investing in their municipality.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY-A soldier and a barangay chairman were shot to death by members of the New People’s Army (NPA) operating in Las Navas town, Northern Samar in separate incidents.
Last Saturday(July 10),Crispin Mordido,37,village chairman of San Andres, about 10 kms away from the town proper, was killed by NPA rebels while he was visiting at the nearby village of Lourdes at 12:40 pm,Police S/Sgt.Rex Tapalla, officer-on-case, said that.
“He was on board of a motorcycle to visit his cousin, (Lourdes village chairman Charlie Openion) when he was shot several times by at least four armed men which resulted to his death, “Tapalla, in a phone interview, said.
A doctor at the rural health unit declared Mordido as dead on arrival.
While they received information that the suspects were reportedly to be rebels, the police officer said that they are still conducting their investigation on the incident and to determine the identities of the suspects who fled after the incident.
Meantime, in another attack staged by the rebels,
Private First Class John Vincent Bocaboc died after he and his team belonging to the 20th Infantry Battalion engaged the rebels in Barangay Victory in a 15-minute firefight last Friday (July 9) night.
Lt.Sarah Jean Escubio, civil military officer of the battalion whose camp is based in Brgy.San Jorge in the same town, said that the group of Bocaboc was in the village as part of their community support program which aims to help villages cleared from the influence of insurgents.
Escubio said that Bocaboc was the sentinel of their group when he noticed presence of a man who was armed.
This immediately resulted to a firefight between the government forces and the rebels which resulted to the immediate death of Bocaboc who was hit at the different parts of his body.

A village watchman, Arnil Bantilo, was hit on his feet while a bullet from the rebels grazed on the head of a six-year old girl.
Both are now treated at the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital in Catarman, Northern Samar.
This incident was condemned by the military saying that the rebels would do everything as they continue their terroristic activities even hurting civilians.
Las Navas is one of the towns in Northern Samar where there is still a presence of rebels.
The Philippine national Police earlier augmented the security forces in the town with the derailment of its elite Special Action Force. (JOEY A. GABIETA/RONALD O.REYES)

MATUGUINAO, Samar-From being known as a haven of terrorism to being a potential tourist destination in entire Samar province.
This is the vision of Mayor Aran Boller of this town, whose mere mention connotes presence of members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
But Boller, who is serving on his first term as mayor of the fifth-class town (P89 million) with more than 7,200 population, said that he is determined to change that perception through opening his town via its tourism industry.
The town is known for its several cold springs and cathedral-like caves which the town has started to develop and open for tourists to visit.
He, however, admitted that the current pandemic caused by coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has somewhat affected his campaign.
“But since we started to open up our town through our tourist spots, we have been visited by tourists coming from different parts of Samar and even outside the province,” Boller said.
He said that since they started inviting tourists to visit their town, Boller said that close to 5,000 travelers have enjoyed their cold springs and caves which are all accessible.
The local government unit charges P30 per guests as environmental fee. The collected amount goes to the municipal education board which help finance the needs of students and schools in the town.
“I decided to open up our tourism destinations to help change the perception of the public that Matuguinao is a bad place. That our town is nothing but a lair of the New People’s Army,” Boller said.
Since he assumed the post in 2019, the town mayor said, among the first things he did was to encourage rebels and their sympathizers to give up the armed struggle and return to the folds of the law.
And his campaign appeared to have paid off as around 300 supporters and regular members of the terror group have so far given up, the town mayor said.
And those who decided to return to the folds of the law were provided by the municipal government of livelihood assistance. Others were hired by the municipal government as job order workers and even as security aids.
“Now our place is considered to be peaceful. Our crime rate is zero. There is no civilian-to-civilian conflict save for some insurgency-related fight which have become isolated,” Boller said.
The town mayor said that he is grateful that his town mates are giving him their full support reason why they are experiencing a degree of tranquility and in the process, change the image of Matuguinao.
The once sleepy and rebel-known town is abuzz with construction of new structures like public market, terminal building, farm-to-market roads, and even a fire station.
Last July 8, Mayor Boller delivered his state of the municipality address(Soma) wherein he vowed to transform his town into one of the most important and economically stable in entire province.
He, however, said that all his efforts would result to nothing without the support from his people.
Boller also recognized 12 barangays in the town which were declared as ‘cleared’ from insurgency problem. These areas are to receive financial assistance from the government for them to realize their chosen projects under the national government to end local communist armed conflict (NT-ELCAC).
Among those who attended Boller’s second Soma was Governor Michael Reynolds Tan who also promised to Boller of his total support by providing needed financial assistance to all his projects.
“You have surprised me in so many ways.Wnat your administration has done in Matuguinao beyond my imagination,” Tan said. (JOEY A. GABIETA)