BURAUEN, Leyte- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in partnership with the local government unit of Burauen conducted the second Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park Outdoor Festival in Mahagnao Natural Park.
Among the activities held during the February 3 festival included fun run, kayak racing, photo contest, and booth making contest to commemorate the declaration of Mahagnao as a protected area under the National Integrated Protected Area System through Proclamation Number 117 in 1998.
This year’s Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park Outdoor Festival also recognized the members of the Mamanwa tribe from Mindanao who have been living in Barangay Kagbana for more than 50 years now.
During the festival, the Mamanwas showcased their traditional dance to the visitors. Meantime, soldiers belonging to the 78th Infantry Battalion, whose headquarter is based in this town, also performed a Tausug dance.
Leyte Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Ranulfo Abriol said that the activity is meant to dramatize their call for the protection and preservation of Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park.
Abriol called on the residents and tourists of the natural park not to do any act that would result to its destruction.
The vast park is also now considered to be one of the fast emerging tourist attractions of the town.
Mahagnao Volcano is a dormant volcano located in Barangay Mahagnao, more than 30 kms away from the town proper.
The area is composed of wetland forest and abundant with hot springs, awe-inspiring craters, hot springs, multi-colored muds and rocks, lakes, virgin forests with giant ferns and orchids, lagoon, and temperature climate
Part of Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park located in the southern part is Lake Malagsom, a crater lake with green acidic water that serves as nesting and breeding grounds of thousands of Philippine wild ducks. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY – Eastern Visayas is shifting its development focus from information and communication technology (ICT) in the past six years to manufacturing from 2017 to 2022.
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Director Bonifacio Uy said it is more realistic for the region to attain economic growth from manufacturing sector than from ICT sector.
However, the 2017-2022 Regional Development Plan (RDP), which is up for review until last week of February, is still keeping agriculture and tourism as major thrusts for Eastern Visayas.
“There are several highly-educated graduates for ICT, but the challenge is our geography. We are prone to natural hazards that might cause destructions to operations of ICT companies,” Uy said.
He recalled that when supertyphoon “Yolanda” struck the region in 2013, a business process outsourcing firm with over 1,000 workers, suffered massive loss, prompting them to permanently shut down its operations in Palo, Leyte.
The Department of Science and Technology said there are about 3,000 workers in the region engaged in ICT-related jobs, including home-based businesses.
There are only four major ICT firms in the province which all engages in non-voice outsourcing.
Palo is the seat of the 6.8-hectare Leyte ICT Park and the 22-hectare Leyte Mikyu Economic Zone.
“We also need facilities to provide very reliable internet connections. The required internet connection is better in other parts of the country,” Uy added.
The development plan has tagged manufacturing as third main priority, citing the region’s existing support facilities.
Manufacturing firms at the Leyte Industrial Development Estate (LIDE) in Isabel town have been the major contributors in the Gross Regional Domestic Product.
LIDE houses the Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corporation and the Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Corporation.
In 2015, the industry sector, where manufacturing subsector belongs, accounted 41.4 percent of the regional economy.
The RDP outlines strategies to attain up to seven percent economic growth in Eastern Visayas from 2017 to 2022.
The regional plan is considered as a “companion document” of the Philippines Development Plan for 2017 to 2022 or within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.
The RDP, which serves as the blueprint of the region’s development direction, is anchored on the Sustainable Development Goals, the Long-Term Vision of Filipinos or AmBisyon Natin 2040 and President Duterte’s 0+10 Point Socioeconomic Agenda.
The RDC, the region’s highest policy-making body, approved the new RDP during its full council meeting on Dec. 20, 2016.
Under the plan, the region aims to attain 5.2 percent to 5.7 percent economic growth in 2017. For 2018 to 2022, the average target is 5.8 percent to seven percent.
(SARWELL Q.MENIANO)

TACLOBAN CITY- February 14 is the Pag-IBIG Day of Pag-IBIG Fund, which turned out to be a Valentine’s Day.
One of its nationwide activity is the “I do, I do”, mass wedding event of Pag-IBIG member couples who had been in cohabitation for at least five years.
The Tacloban Members Services Branch will be conducting its “I do, I do” at Patio Victoria, Brgy. San Jose, Tacloban City, 10:00 ó clock in the morning with Manasseh S. Bastes as solemnizing officer.
The sponsors are Ms. Alectys G. Bajarias, branch head of Pag-IBIG Fund, Tacloban Members Services Branch, Imelda Roa, city civil registrar, and Bernardino Pica, local partner relations coordinator of the Operation Blessing Foundation.
One house and lot package will be raffled to all “I do, I do” beneficiaries nationwide, Kabuhayan packages for every area, and household packages for every sponsoring Branch.
The Fund sponsors the couples’ symbolic rings, bouquets, food and reception. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Tacloban Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (TFCCCI) president Jack Uy said that they are slated to turn six classrooms in three towns in Leyte next month.
The distribution of classrooms is in coordination with the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII).
The recipients are the Malbog Elementary School in Tolosa; Cabuynan Elementary School in Tanauan and Sta. Ana Elementary School in La Paz, Leyte.
The turnover of these facilities will be on March 1.
Uy said that the donors will join the turnover of the completed school buildings with two classrooms each.
The donor for the Sta. Ana School is Lorenzo Ching; for Malbog school is Willard Ching and Cabuynan School is William Castro of Gibi Shoes and Stefano Corporation and Cabuynan School is the Travelers of Washington D.C. International Foundation, Inc.
The donation is coursed through the FFCCCII and is constructed by the in-house contactor of the TFCCCI, Engr. Ricky Chua.
It is a one-unit school building with two-classrooms and two comfort rooms. It is under the priority project of the FFCCCI “Schools for the Barrio Program” that started almost 60 years ago.
Last month, the TFCCCI and the FFCCCI turned over 28 classrooms in Marabut Samar and Tacloban City mostly from Ambassador Carlos Chan of Oishi group of companies.
(VICKY C. ARNAIZ)

CATUBIG, Northern Samar- A farmer from this town is now detained after he was arrested for illegal possession of firearm on Saturday (February 11).
Detained was Jinel Modrigo,31, single and a resident of Barangay Calingnan,this town.
Based on report, Modrigo went to the house of his neighbor, Florencio Lambino, armed with air rifle and threatened to kill him.
But before he could carry out his intent to harm Lambino, two village officials, namely, Lionel Tentativa and Dennis Mercado, arrested him and turned him over to the Catubig police station.
The suspect is now detained at the said police station and is facing for violation of RA 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms Law.
As this developed, S/Supt. Ceasar ZL Tannagan, police provincial director, reminded the public especially firearm holders to update the license of their firearms as non-compliance of the same is tantamount to criminal act.
Further, he reiterated that PNP’s program on illegal firearms still subsists and that use of unlicensed firearm in furtherance of crime has stiffer penalty under R. A. 10591. (PR)