TACLOBAN CITY- The city government of Tacloban City has started 2017 with the opening of the business-friendly Kanhuraw Business Center to address all transactions on the renewal and application of business permits and licenses.
This was revealed by Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez in an interview.
“We open a business-friendly business center to serve our taxpayer clients that they be given a smooth and systematic flow of transaction. I personally visited the center to see for myself that our taxpayers be given an at most service by our workers. Interacting with them means we have a personal touch with them,” the city mayor said.
“It is the vision of the city government to give an efficient, prompt and business-friendly Business Permit and Licensing Office to our taxpayers,” Mayor Romualdez added.
The Kanhuraw Business Center caters to the processing and issuances of business permits, licenses, occupational permits and special projects.
It is a one- stop shop that also issues health certificates, barangay and police clearances, residence certificates, real property tax, DTI clearances, among others.
Applicants are advised to look for the information counter to go through the process or visit the Tacloban City website. (GAY B.GASPAY, TISAT/KANHURAW MEDIA TEAM/PHOTO: TIM CANES)

TACLOBAN CITY- The campaign of the city police to stamp out the proliferation of illegal drugs here continues to gain headway.
In separate buy-bust operations on January 10, six individuals were arrested by the members of the city anti-illegal drug special operation task group led by Chief Inspector Steve Castillote which resulted to the seizure of metamphetamine or shabu with a combined street value of P100,000.
Arrested during the 4 pm operation at Barangay 37, Reclamation Area were Joel Abuda,43; Jet Malquisto,26 and Jeffrey Alcaraz,35.
Confiscated from the suspects were five sachets of white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu with street worth of P50,000 and three pieces of P100 bills.
And half-hour later, another buy-bust operation at Brgy.91, Abucay district, resulted to the arrest of Jovy Jacobe,29; Eduardo Jabulan,44 and Jenny Rose Abuda,23.
Seized from the suspects were seven sachets believed to contain shabu with street value of P50,000 and two pieces of P100 bills.
Confiscated pieces of drug evidence were turned over to the Regional Crime Laboratory Office (RCLO8) for qualitative and quantitative analysis while the other pieces of non-drug evidence were turned over to evidence custodian of the Tacloban City Police Office.
The six arrested suspects are now under the custody of Police Station 2 Custodial Facility while cases for violation of Sections 5 and 11of RA 9165 are being prepared for filing before the City Prosecutor’s Office.
The operation was conducted in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-8 under the supervision of S/Supt. Rolando V. Bade, acting city police director. (PR)

To mitigate flooding

TACLOBAN CITY – With the heavy downpours experienced recently, officials at the second Leyte engineering district (2nd LED) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will prioritize in flood control projects.
In the pipeline for 2017 is a P 61. 8 million worth of flood control projects in major rivers and waterways in Leyte’s second district.
Six major flood control projects are to be started this year, district engineer Carlos Veloso said.
These will include the drainage systems along Socsocon, Arabunog-Sapsap and flood control project Malirong, all in Pastrana town.
These three projects has a combined total budget of P18 million.
Rehabilitation and reconstruction of Binahaan River along Tingib, Pastrana town is also scheduled this year in the amount of P 25.4 million.
The Malirong River flood control in Guindapuan, also in Pastrana town, gets P 9.5 million while the Anonang River flood control in Barangay Anonang, Burauen town gets P 8.19 million.
Veloso said that these projects are expected to be completed within the year.
Although floods are natural phenomena, human activities and human interventions into the processes of nature, such as alterations in the drainage patterns from urbanization, agricultural practices and deforestation, have considerably changed the situation in whole river basins.
At the same time, exposition to risk and vulnerability in flood-prone area have been growing constantly, it was noted.
Veloso advised that with the infrastructure being put in place to mitigate the hazards of flooding, non-structural measures should likewise be enforced such as strengthening the flood information and warning system, and relocating people living along the river lines.
(AHLETTE C. REYES)

     “His license does not authorize him to carry his gun and just fire anytime he wants,” Cardenas said.

CATARMAN Northern Samar- A court sheriff is in hot waters after he indiscriminately fired his gun on New Year’s Day and threatening a neighbor.
Wilbor Fua, 33, sheriff IV at the Regional Trial Court Branch 19, based this town, but residing in Barangay Buenavista, Rosario town, was charged of discharging a calibre 45 at around 4 pm on January 1.
He reportedly threatened to shoot his neighbor, Dick Borac, a fisherman.
Police Senior Inspector Jemaimah May Cardenas, chief of police in Rosario, at around 4pm on January 1 their office received a telephone call from the barangay chairman of Buenavista who reported that a man was indiscriminately firing his gun at their place.
When the responding policemen arrived at the village, it was only then that they learned that the person being complained was Fua, who was drunk at that time.
The suspect reportedly got angry at Borac after the latter reprimanded a group of children who were gambling outside their house.
“Based on our initial investigations when he (Fua) saw Borac shouting at the children he went inside their house, got a short firearm then went to Borac’s house and aimed his gun at the latter,” Cardenas said.
Borac also complained that Fua threatened to kill him and his wife.
The sheriff, however, was nowhere to be found when the authorities sought for him in his home.
He showed up at the Rosario police station the following day (January 2) where he stated that it was his neighbour Borac who has been creating trouble in their village.
He also showed to police his license for a 45 caliber firearm.
“We are preparing to file cases against him for violation of Republic Act 10591 on illegal discharge of firearms and another case for grave threats based on Borac’s complaint. His license does not authorize him to carry his gun and just fire it anytime he wants,” Cardenas said.
She added that Fua could also be charged administratively for his alleged violations. (RACHEL V.ARNAIZ)

TACLOBAN CITY – The pruning of the national calamity budget for this year was questioned by a group of “Yolanda” survivors saying that the reduction could hamper delivery of assistance considering the frequency of natural disasters hitting the country every year.
Given this undeniable trend in natural calamities, disaster mitigation and post-disaster response (both short-term and strategic long-term rehabilitation) should be prioritized and should therefore take up a considerable portion of the national budget, said Danny Carranza, spokesperson of the Community of Yolanda Survivors and Partners(CYSP).
“[These post-disaster reports] should serve as a reminder to our government that the new normal will require allocating bigger not smaller budget for disaster response,” Carranza said.
The group was referring to the move of Malacañang to reduce the national calamity budget for the current fiscal year from its previous allocation.
Under the P3.35 trillion 2017 budget, the calamity fund was given an allocation of P15.7 billion or a reduction of about P23 billion from last year’s P38 billion.
Based on a report by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), the Philippines ranked fourth among countries stricken with the most number of disasters.
In 2016 alone, 26 storms and 12 typhoons wreaked havoc on the country.
State weather office Pagasa reported that the number of destructive tropical cyclones had increased in recent years.
In 2015, the Philippines endured 15 disasters.
In 2014, three major typhoons which caused most damage were Typhoon Glenda, Mario, and Ruby.
In 2013, 14 destructive tropical cyclones entered the country, the most devastating of which was supertyphoon “Yolanda” which displaced 16 million people and killed 6,000 people.
The government needs at least P360 billion to completely rehabilitate Yolanda’s destructions. (MEL CASPE)