Out of the 47 brgys endorsed by TCPO

TACLOBAN CITY- About 47 barangays of this city have been endorsed by the Tacloban City Police Office (TCPO) to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and be declared as drug-free.
But out of this number, only two villages have been approved by the PDEA, Inspector Jessica Ortega, city police information officer, said.
Meantime, the good performance by the TCPO under the leadership of city police director Supt. Rolando Bade was commended by Bernardita “Bering” Valenzuela, information officer of the Tacloban city government.
Valenzuela said that the awards received by TCPO during the 116th anniversary celebration of the Philippine National Police were indication that the city police force are performing well.
The TCPO was adjudged as the best city police station and best police strategy management station in the region during the August 22 event attended by Police Director General Ronald ‘Bato’ de la Rosa.
“Of course, we are proud of the awards received by the Tacloban City Police Office headed by Supt. Bade,” Valenzuela said.
The city official added that because of the relentless campaign of the TCPO under Supt. Bade to rid criminalities particularly on the proliferation of illegal drugs, Tacloban could easily rank as one of the most peaceful areas in the country.
Inspector Ortega said that the two villages that were declared as drug-free by PDEA are Barangay 77 in Marasbaras area and Brgy.44 in Quarry district.
Of the 138 barangays of Tacloban, 11 of them were considered as ‘non-affected’ or where drug proliferations are considered negligible.
Ortega said that initially they target 80 percent of all the villages of Tacloban to be declared as drug free.
Earlier City Mayor Cristina Romualdez said that she would like to see Tacloban as drug-free by next year.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY-The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has also declared the coastal waters of Daram Island in Samar positive of red tide toxin.
According to the shellfish advisory released by the bureau, on August 25, shellfish samples collected from the area were found positive of red tide toxin.
The toxin found in the shell fish meat samples reached 185 μgSTXeq/100g, exceeding the regulatory limit of 60 ugSTXeq/100g of shellfish meat.
This is now the fourth area in Samar and the sixth in the region to be found positive for the toxin in just one month.
Meanwhile, shellfish products from Irong-Irong, Maqueda, and Villareal Bays in Samar, Carigara Bay in Leyte, and Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar remains positive of red tide toxins.
The areas were declared positive about a week prior to the latest shellfish bulletin.
BFAR continues to inform the public that consuming shellfish products harvested from these areas are still prohibited. (MARWAH JAILANI, LNU Student)

TACLOBAN CITY – Two major bridge projects are now underway along the Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road in line with the national government’s vision of a “golden age of infrastructure”.
These are the ongoing widening of the Pinamitinan Bridge in Capoocan town and Jugaban Bridge in Carigara town, which according to Second Leyte District Engineer Carlos Veloso will significantly boost growth and raise economic productivity and competitiveness along these areas.
The Pinamitinan Bridge is costing the national coffers P 21.46 million in fund to cover its widening to 3.05 meters in width and 23.4 meters in length.
The bridge will likewise have four lanes with grouted riprap and asphalt an overlay with thermal plastic. The bridge’s widening started on July 3, 2017 and is expected to finish in December 2017.
Meanwhile, its counterpart in Carigara town, the Jugaban Bridge is under a P 4.606 million funding to span the length of 12.66 meters. The Jugaban Bridge also has a December target month of completion.
Both of this bridge widening projects are to complement the road widening also being undertaken by the DPWH all over the area while both bridges have been a two-lane bridge for many years now and are in need of a good repair.
The Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road is one of Leyte’s major and busiest highway linking two major cities in the Eastern Visayas region, Tacloban and Ormoc. (AHLETTE C. REYES)

GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO, Leyte-The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Regional Office 8 participated in the 2017 PH-EITI Roadshow covering Cluster 5 composed of Regions 6, 7 and 8 in Cebu City on August 16-17, 2017.
With the theme, “Extracting Value in Transparency: A Forum on Promoting Local Development through Sustained Disclosure and Dialogue”, this year’s roadshow highlighted the 3rd Report while focusing on how the EITI process, through continued disclosure and dialogue among stakeholders can help strengthen natural resource governance at the subnational level and ensure that extractive activities benefit local communities in a sustainable way.
The roadshow consisted on a multi-stakeholder forum on the first day, and on the second day, a workshop on the following topics: Using the PH-EITI Report as a tool for local development and EITI implementation at the subnational level.
The workshop basically highlighted priority issues and recommendations and action plan in the respective topics assigned.
“Before CSOs don’t trust the industry, the industry doesn’t trust the CSOs, and everybody thinks that the government is not doing anything, but with the advent of PH-EITI, all that has changed. Now, we are all in this together!” Atty. Ron Recidoro, MSG-Industry, during the panel discussion, said.
Representatives from government agencies, local government units, extractive companies/businesses, and civil society organizations and the media, attended the forum and participated in a lively discussion that surfaced issues and suggestions in attaining transparency in the mining, oil and gas, and coal industries.
The PH-EITI roadshow nationwide aims to promote transparency and good governance in the Philippines’ extractives sector. The Cebu Leg was the fifth of six fora to be held in key cities across the country. (CELESTE FAITH B.DE LA CRUZ/PR)

Gov. Nicart went on medical leave

TACLOBAN CITY- Eastern Samar Vice Governor Marcelo Ferdinand Picardal has assumed the post of Governor Conrado Nicart as the latter took a leave of indefinite leave due to health reason.
Picardal, who is serving on his third and last term as vice governor, assumed the post as acting governor August 25.
The acting governor assured the people of Eastern Samar that the temporary change of leadership at the provincial government will not hamper the delivery of basic services, particularly on health.
He said that the Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital, based in Borongan City, will be stuffed with enough supply of medicines to ensure that those who will need them, particularly the poor, could immediately be provided.
As acting governor, Picardal also said that he would also push for further development of the province’s tourism industry and find employment opportunities for those who are looking for jobs.
He also issued a guarantee for all employees of the provincial government that their salaries and benefits will be released on time. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

MAASIN CITY- From a satellite office, the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) located in Barangay Abgao, is bent on becoming an extension entity to better serve its clientele, the boat owners and seamen.
Engr. Delfin Calapre, Jr., Marina specialist II, in a phone patch interview with Infocen Manager Erna Gorne during the DyDM Kapihan sa PIA live Friday, on the sidelines of a maritime forum and consultative meeting with various stakeholders held at Jaimee’s Hotel in Brgy. Ibarra explained that as a satellite status, the office can only receive papers for registration and licensing and then forward these papers to the regional office, but as a Marina extension office there will be no need of forwarding for it can already be capable of registering or issuing licenses and franchises.
Calapre likened the function of his office to that of the Land Transportation Authority (LTO) which issues registration for motorized bancas and motorboats for fishing ventures, and professional licenses for seamen.
In addition, Calapre said Marina is also like the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) that gives franchise for passenger boats to operate in specific routes within their area of coverage, from Baybay City and the whole of Southern Leyte province.
Calapre hoped that as early as next year their office will be converted from satellite to extension, considering the continued increase in the number of sea-faring operators and individuals and the wide coverage area, so that processing of papers will be done at their level.
For this year, their office has facilitated the issuance of seaman’s book to about 700 seafarers, and provided registration and issuance of franchises to over 100 ship/boat operators, Calapre further said. (PIA8-Southern Leyte)