BORONGAN CITY-Under the convergence and special support program of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Eastern Samar District Engineering Office (ESDEO) proposes 51 tourism roads for year 2020 and submit lists to DPWH Regional Office for possible funding.
According to Engr. Christian Paul Balita of ESDEO, these lined-up access roads projects leading to tourism destination for year 2020 were coordinated with the tourism officers of the LGU in every municipalities of Eastern Samar.
Engr. Balita disclosed that before they came-up with lists to regional office for funding, they validated the tourist sites and also considered the feasibility of access road as to road right of way (RROW) and environmental issues are concern.
“Some of our priority projects for access roads leading to tourism destinations for year 2020 are the completion and continuation of our prior years’ projects like the access roads leading to Canhugas Nature Park and Borongan-Llorente Closed Canopy Forest Area,” added Balita.
The total appropriation of the proposed tourism roads for year 2020 is nearly 1.5 billion pesos.
Included in the declared tourism destinations in Eastern Samar to be built with access roads are Bangon Falls and Guiduyanan Cave in Hernani; Pinasuan Falls and Uragon Caves in Brgy Antipolo Llorente; Tingson Falls in Gen MacArthur; Casidman Cold Spring and Pisak Falls in Arteche; Malogo Watershed Sanctuary and Eco-Park in Can-avid; Matandogon Beach in Brgy. Canjaway and Pahungaw falls in Brgy San Pablo in Borongan City.
These tourism-infra projects also include the improvement of jump-off point to known island in Eastern Samar; the Hilabaan and Tikling islands in Dolores, Eastern Samar and Rawis Naked island in Can-avid.
Meanwhile, according to District Engineer Manolo A. Rojas of ESDEO, improving the local roads leading to secluded tourist spots will increase the tourism and impact on the development on social and economic well-being of Eastern Samar.
“We are hoping that these tourism projects will be approved, in order to implement access roads starting the year 2020 and it will allow not only the locals, but also the tourist to delve into the hidden sceneries of Eastern Samar,” said DE Rojas.
DE Rojas disclosed that the access roads will not only boost the tourism industry but also the convenient of livings of the locals because of easy transport of products and services to nearby municipalities.
“Concreting the gravel roads will ease the mobility of the locals who live in the secluded place to the health and education centers, town proper or even faster transportation of their goods to the market, and it will also increase the tourist visits of our province creating vast opportunities to the locals,” added DE Rojas.
DPWH ESDEO implemented two convergence projects access roads leading to declared tourism destination worth 212 million pesos for year 2018 and still waiting for the approval of the 8 projects for GAA 2019 with a total appropriation of 169 million pesos. (LARA MIKAELA SUYOT-PIO STAFF/PR)
DPWH Eastern Samar lines up 51 tourism roads for year 2020
Mamanwa tribe now uses modern farming; shuns wild hunting
Assisted by the provincial gov’t of Leyte
TACLOBAN CITY-The members of the Mamanwa tribe, an indigenous people living in the hinterland of Burauen, Leyte have transformed themselves from wild hunters to modern farmers producing high value crops and vegetables.
Bernal Managbanag, 94, the chieftain of the tribe, admitted that the learnings in modern agriculture earned by his tribe members, was the turning point for them to abandon hunting of wild animals and fruits for their daily subsistence and practice scientific farming.
Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla extended assistance to the Mamanwa members last year and trained them in modern farming in coordination the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and other government agencies.
About 50 tribe members– 19 men and 31 women – finished the training on the techniques of modern farming.
Managbanag said that the members of his tribe, 15 of them were even former members of the rebel group, the New People’s Army, are now producing high-value crops and vegetables such as onions, asparagus, radish, cauliflowers, strawberries, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, among others.
Petilla said that alongside with the training, his office provided financial support for the organizing and registration of the group at the Department of Labor and Employment for them to have a legal personality for them to transact business with any government or private entity.
He added that his office also extended support and provision of farm implements, agricultural tools and agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and vegetable seeds.
Petilla reported that presently, the members of the tribe are now productive and are now supplying the local markets with their high value crops and vegetabl-s harvested from their farms.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
Media man dies in a car accident
TACLOBAN CITY- Tributes have poured in for broadcast journalist Eric Tupaz who died in a fatal car crash over the weekend.
Initial police investigation showed that Tupaz, 46, was driving his white-colored Hyundai Eon car towards his residence when he lost control of the vehicle upon reaching the curve area at Barangay Arado in Palo around 4:40 p.m. Saturday (April 27).
He accidentally bumped the road traffic sign which resulted his car to flip to the side and subsequently hit the electric post.
The injuries he sufferred from the hard impact led to his instant death.
“Eric had a big contribution to the broadcast industry in providing timely and relevant information to the public,” said Tacloban newspaper publisher and broadcaster Fred Padernos.
“Rest in peace broadcaster Eric. Your fellows in the media will truly miss you,” added Padernos.
His media colleagues condoled with the bereaved family.
“We had lots of happy moments during our time at DyVL especially when we were recording our news,” Roel Amazona of this paper,said.
Amazona was a former reporter of DyVL like Tupaz.
Tupaz worked with Tacloban-based radio stations such as DyVL-Aksyon Radyo of Manila Broadcasting Corporation, DyDW-Radyo Diwa, and Lamrag Radio of the Aliw Broadcasting Corporation. He also published a weekly newspaper.
Tupaz, a native of Dulag, Leyte, was the board president of Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Dorelco) in Tolosa.
His family also clarified that no amount of alcohol was found in his body when the accident took place based from a doctor’s statement.
Tupaz was survived by his wife Irene and two children. (RONALD O. REYES)
House Speaker Arroyo visits wounded soldiers at EVRMC; supports resumption of peace talks
TACLOBAN CITY- House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited six soldiers who were wounded during an ambush at Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) Saturday (April 27) afternoon where they are confined.
During her brief visit, the former President comforted the soldiers as she hope for their speedy recovery from the wounds they sustained after they engaged in a firefight with the rebel New People’s Army(NPA) in Barangay Beri Calbiga town in Samar province last April 23.
Six soldiers, who belong to the 46th Infantry Battalion, were also killed during the ambush, the worst suffered by the government troops in years at the hands of the rebels.
“We honor the bravery… of our brave soldiers and we hope that they will recover soon. But more than that, we hope that lasting peace will come to the Philippines,” Arroyo said during an interview after she visited the soldiers.
The soldiers, Private First Class Darwin Magoncia, Private First Class Joseph Salonga, Sergeant Gilbert Benito, Jr. and Private Rex Español, also received a cash assistance from the former President.
The House Speaker, who arrived at the EVRMC located in Barangay Cabalawan, this city, 4:40 pm and left on 5:10 pm, was joined by former Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Leyte Rep. Henry Ong and was welcomed by the hospital’s chief, Dr. Salvador Evardone.
Private Español, 25 and just in the service for over a year, said that she was surprised on the visit of Arroyo to them.
“I am happy and thankful for her visit to us,” he said.
Two of their companions, Private First Class Mark Kevin Frigillana and Corporal Reymart Vigilia were earlier discharged from the hospital
Meantime, Arroyo said that she supports on the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to resume again the peace talks with the communist leaders, led by its founder, Jose Ma. Sison.
“I agree with what he decides,” she said.
Mr. Duterte has once again invited Sison to resume the peace talks with the Philippines government after he decided earlier to scrap the agreement citing the ambuscade incidents involving soldiers and police with the rebels despite of the peace talks.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
More than 9,000 jobs available for May 1 jobs fair
Region’s unemployment stands at 4.4 percent
TACLOBAN CITY- About 9,700 new jobs opportunities are up for grabs, ready to be filled up by those in need of employment from the region.
This was disclosed by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as it readies activities related to the 117th Labor Day on May 1.
Yahya Centi, labor regional director, said in a press conference that about 44 agencies have signed up for the jobs fair to be conducted during the Labor Day celebration to be held at the Tacloban Convention Center or astrodome.
According to him, of this number of participating agencies, 32 are for local employment while the remaining 12 are for overseas employment.
Centi, however, said that of the 7,265 jobs available during the jobs fair, 6,065 are for overseas deployment like Saudi Arabia and Australia, among others.
The DOLE regional director added that another jobs fair will also be held in Ormoc City where 2,504 vacancies are also available to be participated by 19 business establishments.
The holding of the jobs fair, he said, will help address the region’s problem on unemployment which is at 4.2 percent.
Centi said that based on experience in the past jobs fair, about 15 to 30 percent are hired on the spot.
It’s because, he said, the skills or experiences of those who are hunting for jobs does not fit to the requirements needed or failed to bring needed documents.
Thus, their office has conducted its pre-registration to ensure that those who will proceed to the jobs fair have all the needed requirements or documents, Centi said.
Meantime, the DOLE regional director said that workers in the region have to wait perhaps until July if there will be an adjustment of the current wage order.
The current wage order, issued on June 25, 2018, pegged the daily minimum wage for agriculture workers at P275 while P305 for non-agriculture workers.
Centi said that they have started to review the current wage order by having a consultation which they started in Ormoc City last April 10.
“We have already started the public consultation which is necessary because we would like to look into the socio-economic indicators and the state of economy (of the region),” he said.
Among the indicators that they will consider during the public consultations are the increase of prices, and inflation rate, among others.
Centi, however, could not say yet as to how much the increase, if there will be, considering that they have only started the public consultation which they hope to finish before the current wage order as contained under Wage Order 20, expires on July 25.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
BEST FLOAT. For the nth time.
