TACLOBAN CITY — Reducing the cost of doing business and enhancing the business environment are two major activities recommended by the National and Economic Development Authority (NEDA) in order to draw more foreign investment to Eastern Visayas.
In the 2017 state of the region report released Wednesday by NEDA through the Regional Development Council (RDC), attracting foreign investment was identified as a weakness that needs to be addressed.
From a total P807 million foreign capital poured in the region in 2016, it dropped to P553.71 million in 2017.
The report did not elaborate the factors contributing to lower investments last year. However, NEDA reported that the slower economic growth in 2017 was largely driven by downscaling of post-disaster construction activities.
“Local business environment must be continuously improved to entice more investors to invest in the region so we will have more success of revenue and more jobs will be generated. Coordination between and among national and local government, as well as with the private sector is imperative,” NEDA said.
In the 2017 ranking by the National Competitive Council of the Philippines, no single province in the region made it to the top 30 most competitive areas in the country.
Among the six provinces, Biliran was in a better spot (31st rank), followed by Leyte (36th), Samar (42nd), Southern Leyte (57th), Eastern Samar (61st), and Northern Samar (62nd).
The survey covers 72 provinces nationwide.
Rankings of local government units are based on the sum of their scores on four pillars — economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure and resiliency.
The economic dynamism pillar measures the economic activity and productivity of a local government, which include business registrations, capital, revenue, permits, capacity to generate jobs, cost of living, cost of business, etc.
NEDA Regional Director Bonifacio Uy is eyeing a PHP1.2-billion foreign investments for Eastern Visayas this year despite poor performance in attracting big time investments over the past years.
The region had a share of only 0.2 percent in the nationwide foreign investments approved by the Board of Investments (BOI) since 2012.
Under the 2017 to 2022 Regional Development Plan (RDP), Eastern Visayas is eyeing a 20-percent increase in BOI-approved investments for the poverty-stricken region.
Foreign investments in the region, measured by the total amount of projects registered in the BOI, reached PHP13.03 billion from 2012 to 2016. The region had 16 projects in agriculture, forestry, fishing, utilities, manufacturing, real estate, and logistics sectors, according to NEDA reports.
“More than 88 percent of the said investments were intended to finance projects in electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply subsector, which indicates the potential of the region as a source of renewable energy,” Uy added.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office 8 in partnership with the local government unit of Catbalogan City held a job and business fair on June 15, 2018 at the provincial covered court of the city.
The conduct of the said activity dubbed as 2018 Kalayaan Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan: Job and Business Fair was one of the highlights of the 120th commemoration of the Philippine Independence Day Proclamation.
A total of 5,197 job local and overseas vacancies were offered coming from fourteen (14) employers. Nine (9) participating employers were from the private sector, one from the government and four (4) from recruitment agencies for overseas deployment.
Edgar Tabuyan, head of DOLE Samar Field Office (SFO) expressed his thanks to Mayor Stephanie Uy-Tan of Catbalogan for her all-out support of the yearly undertaking.
“I personally appreciate(d) that LGU Catbalogan volunteered to sponsor this year’s Kalayaan Job and Business Fair. It is an indication that our link to the local government unit is continually strengthened through the implementation of various DOLE programs and services,” said Tabuyan.
Mayor Tan graced the activity together with DOLE RO8 Regional Director Cyril L. Ticao.
A business fair was also held simultaneously during the one-day event participated by different DOLE-assisted workers’ associations offering various food and non-food items.
(NORMA RAE S. COSTIMIANO/PR)

CATARMAN, Northern Samar – Mondragon Agro Industrial High School receives 1 unit 2 storey 6 classrooms school building worth P7.3 million in a turn-over ceremony by the Department of Public Works and Highways Northern Samar First District Engineering office and the Department of Education (DepEd).
Engr. Corona Daryl G. Uy, the project engineer, together with the project Inspector Engr. Joan Candylou G. Arao officially turned-over the 2 storey 6 classrooms school building to Mondragon Agro Industrial High School(MAIHS) last May 30, 2018.
Dr. John L. Delorino, school principal, said “Mondragon Agro Industrial High School is very happy to have this building, newly constructed which is turned over already to our school. This answers the very pressing problem of this school – lack of classrooms. So if I’ll give the data like last year we have 32 classrooms, 32 sections, 8 of this sections are placed in a dilapidated building in temporary Learning Spaces/places. So now we have 6 classrooms, we can get from those people or teachers to occupy the place. So mababawasan talaga ang problema sa kakulangan sa classroom,”he added.
The turn-over ceremony were graced by the DPWH engineers led by its project engineer Corona Daryl G. Uy, MAIHS school principal, Dr. John L. Delorino, teachers and staff.
The newly-constructed school building will cater 300 students of MAIHS. This will also answers the very pressing problem of the school-lack of classrooms. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY – A mini-agraryo-trade fair was opened on Monday (June 11) morning at the Department of Agrarian Reform Regional Office compound in this city as the said agency started a four-day celebration in commemoration of the 30 years of implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in the county.
The trade fair highlights the celebration showcasing the growth of the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) from ordinary tillers to enterprising ARB organizations (ARBOs).
All five DAR provincial offices in Eastern Visayas were provided a booth for ARBOs products ranging from agricultural to handicrafts and processed foods.
Regional Director Sheila Enciso disclosed that DAR has provided more than 219,000 ARBs throughout the region with certificates of land-ownership award (CLOAs), while more than 413 ARBOs were organized into associations or cooperatives during the 30 years of CARP implementation.
Meanwhile, Assistant Regional Director for Program Beneficiaries Development (PBD) Ismael Aya-ay likewise disclosed that DAR has provided ARBs through the years with various support services such as infrastructures, common service facilities, trainings and facilitate too in availing of credit assistance.
He further disclosed that four processed food products produced by ARBOs in Leyte, Samar and Eastern Samar can now be sold on a larger scale after obtaining recently a license to operate from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
These are: “Banana Chips” by Omaganhan Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Tabango, Leyte; “Imbotido” by LIBERCON Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Hilongos, Leyte;
“Pancit Canton” (squash and malunggay flavors) produced by San Roque Farmers Association in Daram, Samar; and “Cassava Chips” (sweet blend and garlic flavors) by ESEP ARC Cooperative in Salcedo, Eastern Samar.
On June 10, 1988, then President Corazon Aquino signed Republic Act No. 6657, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) to look after the welfare of the landless farmers and farmworkers to receive the highest consideration to promote social justice and to move the nation towards sound rural development and industrialization.
To commemorate the 30 years of implementation, DAR-8 kicked-off the four-day celebration thru a motorcade around the city on June 11 and ended on Thursday (June 14) by recognizing the support and contribution of various government agencies and non-government organizations during the past three decades.
This year’s celebration theme is “CARP@30: DARe2change Pagbabalik tanaw sa 3 dekada ng repormang agraryo patungo sa ikalawang yugto ng pagbabago”.
(JOSE ALSMITH L.
SORIA/PR)

MARABUT, Samar – The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has recently turned over to the municipal officials of this town a building project which it funded.
The turnover of the newly-built two story municipal hall was held last June 7 which is part of the commitment of the Japanese government to help areas recovered from the devastation of super typhoon ‘ Yolanda’ that hit the region in 2013.
Marabut is one of the towns in Samar which sustained major damages due to Yolanda.
Yoshio Wada, JICA chief representative to the Philippines, said that the structure will serve as a testimony of a strong relationship between his nation and that of the Philippines.
“The Philippines’ and Japan’s long standing friendship has proven that our partnership remains firm whether in good times and in times of disasters. Japan shall never forget that the Philippines were one of the countries who offered help when the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami struck our country in 2011,” Wada said.
Town Mayor Elizabeth Ortillo received the donated project.
The rehabilitation is part of JICA’s development cooperation to assist the Philippines in promoting disaster resiliency, specifically in area that was devastated by Yolanda in November 8, 2013.
Last year, JICA also turned over a rural health unit to the town.
Japan has committed ¥4.6 billion as part of their commitment to help areas hit by Yolanda recover from the damages they have sustained.
“This municipal hall we handed over was built based on Japanese standards that emphasize quality and safety using the concept of Build Back Better,” said Wada.
The building will also serve as an evacuation center in times of a natural calamity.
The Philippines and Japan are among the top disaster-prone countries in the world, data from the 2016 World Risk Index of the United Nations (UN) showed. Their geographical positions on the Pacific Ring of Fire makes both countries particularly vulnerable to natural disasters.
“Apart from typhoon Yolanda assistance, Japan has been sharing its expertise in disaster risk reduction with the Philippines since the 1960s through hard and soft infrastructures including capacity building of the country’s frontline disaster agencies,” Tracy Melissa Decena, JICA program officer, said.
Among the JICA Grant Aid Assistance for Typhoon Yolanda Rehabilitation and Recovery are rebuilding of schools, rural health units, and providing equipment for the Department of Public Works and Highways, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to include the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport, National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), and local electric cooperatives.
A technical assistance was also provided to various regional and local government units like the production of hazard maps and quick impact projects.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY-Collaboration between local and international law enforcement is crucial to ensuring that the victims of online sexual exploitation could receive justice.
Thus said Atty. John Tanagho, field office director of the International Justice Mission (IJM) in Cebu City after disclosing that a senior investigator from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Internet Child Exploitation division came all the way from abroad to the Regional Trial Court Branch 10 in Abuyog, Leyte “to testify in court against a suspected online trafficker” who was arrested in the neighboring town of MacArthur late last year.
“We’re grateful for the support of the RCMP in this prosecution. That they traveled all the way to Leyte shows their deep commitment and professionalism,”Tanagho said.
IJM, a global organization that protects the poor from violence, said that Corporal Jared Clarke, accompanied by RCMP liaison officer Jay Schooley, arrived in Leyte last May 31, 2018, to authenticate the referral letter RCMP sent to the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The referral letter to the local authorities led by PNP Women and Children Protection Center-Visayas Field Unit to investigate and conduct an entrapment operation against a certain Lorna (not real name) who was caught in the act of offering to perform sex acts on her own 8-year-old daughter and livestream those acts from her home in McArthur in November 10, 2017.
In a statement, IJP reported that Lorna allegedly “produced and transmitted sexually explicit images of children to foreigners overseas in exchange for money.”
The operation, participated by the Interagency Council Against Trafficking Region 8 (IACAT-8), Leyte Provincial Police Office, Leyte WCPD, Leyte Provincial Public Safety Company, Department of Social Welfare and Development Office-8, and the IJM, also led to the rescue of nine children, with ages ranging from two to nine years old, from online sexual exploitation.
Prior to the entrapment operation, Lorna allegedly told her online customers that she could abuse children of any age and that the children could perform whatever sex act the customer wanted until the children cried in pain, IJM said.
Meanwhile, the group said that Clarke’s court testimony also came four days after the arrest of Lorna’s spouse Lito (real name withheld), who at the time of the operation was still a councilor of one of the barangays in McArthur.
Lito, who was not present during the November operation, was served an arrest warrant by McArthur police on May 27, 2018.
The two were charged with qualified trafficking under Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act as amended by R.A. 10364.
Staff Sergeant Scott Lambie of the Saskatchewan Integrated Child Exploitation Unit said that “it is an investigation like this which demonstrates the international and border-less nature of ICE (Internet Child Exploitation) investigations.”
Saskatchewan, a province in western Canada, “is not immune to these horrific crimes,” Lambie said.
“Through our international ICE partners we can bring offenders to justice almost anywhere,” the Canadian police officer said in a statement.
“Corporal Clarke of our unit recently traveled to Leyte Island to testify at an ICE trial and conduct important child exploitation training locally. While in the Philippines, he also had the opportunity to meet with some rescued victims – a rare and rewarding experience. We want to thank our international partners for the work they continue to do to rescue victims and prosecute offenders,” Lambie added.
Online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) can cause severe psychological trauma to children and sometimes physical injuries, according to Rebelander Basilan, partnership development coordinator of IJM in Cebu City.
As of May 2018, IJM has worked with the Philippine law enforcers on OSEC cases which led to the arrest of 135 suspected online child traffickers and the rescue of 319 victims around the country since 2011.
At least 35 accused have already been convicted for trafficking children into online sexual exploitation in the country, it said.
(RONALD O.REYES)