BORONGAN CITY – Jesus Lawrence “Eboy” Quitorio, a 27-year-old local surfer from this city had just started surfing early this year.
But even if he is new in the sport, Quitorio has already earned the distinction of being the first person with a disability (PWD) to become an internationally accredited surfing instructor.
Because of his family’s circumstances, Quitorio, who has a speech and movement difficulties, has not been given any official medical diagnosis. Now an orphan, he currently lives with his brother in Brgy. Sabang South, this city.
For this year’s surf competition, Quitorio served as a surf instructor and lifeguard.
In October 2021, he made waves when he became the first Filipino surfer to become an accredited surfing instructor by the International Surfing Association. He underwent training as part of the Surfriders Club of Eastern Samar’s (SCES) preparation for hosting Surf in the City.
The training was organized by the Department of Tourism as one of the steps in promoting the region as the next site for surfing in the Philippines.
Prior to surfing, Quitorio had been playing skimboarding for 15 years. In December 2019, he won the skimboarding event during the first Surf in the City competition.
Just this year, he decided to change his sport after seeing his friends enjoying riding big waves.
He learned through the help of his friend, Christian Badillo, who also acts as his interpreter.
“Life may be difficult but just learn to enjoy it; whatever condition maybe,” he said when asked what is advised to those who are suffering physical deformities like him but want to engage in surfing.
As a surfing instructor, Quitorio now makes P1,000 to P1,500 a week. The fee comes from tourists and locals that train under SCES. The amount collected is divided among the surf instructors.
He also dreams of competing on the international stage, and of owning a shop where he can sell surfboards and surf accessories
Quitorio is an example of how surfing can provide opportunities to the youth of Borongan, according to Surf in the City chair Rupert Ambil.
The Surf in the City event goal is to raise athletes like Quitorio to compete in the national event.
“Eboy is a good example of how sports like surfing can improve the lives of our youth in Borongan. Our dream for this competition is to train local surfers and empower them to compete in international surfing events. We believe that with the right support, the next surfing gold medalist can come from Borongan,” Ambil noted.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Despite of speech and movement difficulties, Borongan-based surfer making waves in competition
Top military exec to NPAS: surrender or face attacks
M/Gen. de Leon sees end in EV’s insurgency in 2022
TACLOBAN CITY-Eastern Visayas top military official, Major Gen. Edgardo de Leon, called on the members of the communist armed group, the New People’s Army (NPA), to return to the folds of the law as he warned them that the government forces in the region will not hesitate to use all of its weapons to end their armed struggle.
de Leon made this remark as he witnessed the surrender of two former regular members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and the more than 150 sympathizers of the outlawed armed group in Tacloban City last Dec.11.
According to de Leon, as part of the marching order from their higher ups, he wants to see the end of the insurgency problem in Eastern Visayas before the end of the term of the administration of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte.
The Duterte administration is to end its reign on June 30, 2022.
“We will not hesitate to use our military might to end the insurgency (in the region) which we aim to do before the end of the term of Pres. Duterte,” de Leon said.
He said that based on their record, there are only more than 300 regular NPA members operating in the region, with most of them are in the provinces of Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar.
He added that as part of their campaign to crush the region’s insurgency problem, the military will first clear 80 barangays in the region that are still considered infiltrated or influenced by the NPA members.
Majority of these villages are located on Samar Island.
de Leon said that the clearing of these villages will be done not only through military operations but by providing services and programs to these areas with the help of other government agencies under the “whole of nation approach” as provided under the End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) program of the government.
This year, the military in the region scored its biggest victory when it destroyed the bomb-making camp of the rebel group in Dolores town, Eastern Samar last August 16 which resulted in the deaths of 19 rebels.
No casualty was recorded in the military side which conducted an air and land assault in the bomb-making facility in Barangay Osmeña of the said town.
de Leon said that the government is offering incentives to those who surrender like providing them financial and livelihood assistance for them to start a new life.
He reiterated that if these rebels will continue to fight against the government despite of its “left-hand approach”, referring to the assistance, then the military has no recourse but to use the “right-hand approach”, referring to the use of weapons through tactical operations.
de Leon said that since the ELCAC was started in 2019, 61 rebels were killed; 190 of them have surrendered, and; 46 of them were captured.
Among those who surrendered was “Ka Danny,” 47, who was recruited in the armed group in 2018.
He, however, started as a mass rally organizer in 2005 before he started to carry firearms as a regular NPA member.
Ka Danny was among the two former regular NPA members who surrendered to the government and took his pledge of allegiance to the government on Friday with de Leon witnessing the event held at the People’s Center, this city.
The former rebel said that he decided to give up the armed struggle to be united with his wife and four children.
“They were not aware that I am an NPA. But I have to abandon my comrade because I want to be with my family and lead a normal life without being hunted and running in the mountains,” he said.
He expects to be provided with all the assistance promised to them by the military and other government agencies.
Kalanggaman Island is now open to tourists
One of Leyte’s top tourist destinations
TACLOBAN CITY – Kalanggaman Island, one of the prime destinations in Leyte province, is now open for tourists to visit.
The reopening of the famed island resort was based on an executive order issued by Mayor Georgina Arevalo she issued on November 15 but made public on Saturday (Nov. 27).
Kalanggaman is famous for its crystal clear water, and beautiful sandbar that stretches from both ends of the island.
“To prolong the suspension of Kalanggaman Island would cause an adverse effect upon the local economy, not to mention the unrealized income for the local government, necessary for the delivery of services,” Mayor Arevalo said, citing the reason why she decided to open the island to tourists.
Under the new guideline, only the fully vaccinated tourists will be allowed entry to the island, which is about 45 minutes of sea travel from the town proper. They are to present their vaccination cards.
The island will be open from 6 in the morning and all guests must depart before 4 pm.
Allowed to enter the island are tourists from 18 years old to 59 years old as pregnant and those with comorbidities still banned to visit the island.
Each group is only limited to 25 people or 250 individuals per day. This number includes the island crew or LGU staff as joiners or mixing of guests is not allowed.
Overnight stay on the island is still prohibited including beverages and liquors.
Those who wanted to visit the island must e-mail the requirement which includes manifesto, waiver, and guest information to palomponecotourism@gmail.com.
Guests who will visit Kalanggaman should also bring their own sanitizers and must always wear face masks.
Guest must also stay in their respective cottage during their stay on the island and must bring their garbage back to the mainland.
The LGU also added that the island is close to the public every Monday for clean-up and maintenance.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Pagcor multi-purpose evacuation center to rise in North Tacloban
TACLOBAN CITY- Another facility to ensure the security of the residents from the northern barangays is in the line after the groundbreaking ceremony of the Pagcor Multi-Purpose Evacuation Center was held on November 26, 2021.
The P50 million worth project, donated by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), is about to rise at Barangay 101 in New Kawayan and is noted to be the third evacuation center in the area.
Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez, in his speech, stated how Tacloban North has impressively transformed from “talahib” to a thriving and promising community.
He then expressed his gratefulness to Pagcor for this purposeful gift to the Taclobanons, which could save them in times of calamities.
Meanwhile, the city mayor, who led the groundbreaking ceremony, together with Pagcor officials, was joined by City Administrator Atty. Jojo Lacanilao, Councilor Elvira Casal, Councilor Evangeline Esperas, Councilor Leo Bahin, Edson Malaki, and Christopher Esperas.
(TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
LGUs offer incentives to draw over 789,000 people
As the 3-day national vax campaign kicks off Monday
(TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
TACLOBAN CITY- Local government units(LGUs) across Eastern Visayas have ensured that their respective constituents would avail of the three-day national vaccination campaign, which started on Monday, by coming up with different incentives.
Most of these LGUs started the campaign by conducting motorcades to inform their people of the campaign while others have offered prizes and free foods and transportation.
In Mercedes town, Eastern Samar, its LGU has offered prizes to those who will avail of the three-day vaccination campaign consisting of food packs.
In Catbalogan City, its city government offered money prizes ranging from P500 up to P5,000 to include grocery items for those who will join the campaign.
Several towns in the region have also offered free snacks and transportation from their respective barangay going to the vaccination sites.
Meantime, other LGUs accepted volunteers for the vaccination campaign like in Baybay City, Leyte where officials and members of its Sangguniang Kabataan volunteered as encoders for the occasion.
Here in Tacloban City, city personnel went around the villages and made a house-to-house campaign to ensure that those who remain unvaccinated could avail of the three-day national vaccination drive.
These initiatives by the LGUs were welcomed by the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) which sets a target of 263,271 individuals to get the jab daily for the next three days or about 789,813.
Dr. Exuperia Sabalberino, DOH regional director, said that they hope that with the active participation of the LGUs, they can achieve their target number of individuals for vaccination.
At present, out of the target 3.36 million people for Eastern Visayas to achieve population immunity, 1.84 million have received the jabs.
The region, Sabalberino said, only needs to vaccinate over 1.51 million people for it to achieve herd immunity before the end of this year.
Meantime, both the Philippine National Police and the Army in the region have also pledged their total support on the campaign by fielding their personnel at the vaccination sites or serve as escorts in the delivery of the vaccines in remote areas.