PALO, Leyte – The computer examination meant for aspiring government employees has been suspended in the past four months due to unstable internet connection.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) computerized examination was last used by examinees on July 29 this year, according to CSC assistant regional director Rowin Riños.
“The internet provider from our central office could not supply sufficient internet connection simultaneously with other regions. This glitch had been happening even in the past years, but it was still manageable,” Riños recalled.
She said that she is unsure when the examinations will be available again but he assured that their central office is doing their best to fix the internet problem.
Since last year, there were already 117 examinees who went through the automated test in the region. The center has 18 available computers housed at the CSC regional office here.
Similar to the paper and pencil test, the automated examination lasts for three hours and 10 minutes.
Launched in 2014, the examination is a system that automates and integrates each step in the administration of computerized examination, making the entire process faster, easier, and more efficient.
It is undertaken by the CSC in collaboration with the Advanced Science and Technology Institute, the research and development arm of the DOST.
Account registration is done online through the website www.comex.csc.gov.ph. In this phase, an individual personally encodes his or her personal information.
After creating an account, the applicant will gain access to weekly examination schedules – dates, time and venue of the test as well as those offered by the different regional testing centers.
An applicant may then choose from among the online offerings and make a reservation.
With the suspension, applicants can take the exam through paper and pencil test scheduled twice a year in different province.
(SARWELL Q.MENIANO)

MAASIN CITY – Infrastructure projects in Southern Leyte are expected to kick off early next year with the completion of some pre-detailed engineering (PDE) activities for the P1.74 billion projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways Southern Leyte District Engineering Office (DPWH-SLDEO).
District Engineer Ma. Margarita C. Junia said the PDE for 24 projects have been completed.
These projects are scheduled for bidding this month. They are optimistic to substantially complete the bidding process by the end of December 2016.
“As agreed in principle, we started the bidding process last month even without the final approval of the central office for the authority to bid and implement projects beyond our authority of P50 million,” Junia said.
The 2017 regular projects include bridges repair, flood control structures, road widening, road rehabilitation, tourism access roads, among others.
The district office closely coordinates with the office of Southern Leyte lone district Representative Roger Mercado to identify projects in line with the national government’s thrusts and local needs based on the lawmaker’s consultation.
Detailed engineering activities covered the setting of design standards, conduct of field surveys and investigations, preparation of design plans and design report, preparation of contract plans, determination of contract packages.
Included in the preparation are technical specifications, quantity estimates, cost estimates and approved budget for the contract.
Under the proposed 2017 infrastructure projects based on National Expenditure Program, the district office is tasked to implement P1.74 billion worth of projects, higher than this year’s P1.3 billion outlay.
The district office managed to pave all primary and secondary national roads before the deadline, which is the end of 2016.
The SLDEO is tasked to maintain 298.93 kilometers of national roads and 153 bridges, built in 18 towns and Maasin City, the provincial capital. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY-Security personnel have been provided to the family of murdered Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa, Sr. by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
This was disclosed by Chief Inspector Ma. Bella Rentuaya, regional information officer of the PNP, as clamored by of Espinosa.
Earlier, the relatives of Espinosa sought for their own security detail in the aftermath of the killing of Espinosa inside the Leyte subprovincial jail in Baybay City during an alleged shootout by the members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on November 5.
“Since Saturday, the family has been provided with security detail coming from the Leyte provincial police,” Rentuaya said.
Four policemen have been assigned to look after the security of the family. Rentuaya, however, declined to provide details on the security arrangement given to the family.
The family fears for their own security after Espinosa, 54, was gunned down. They claimed that Espinosa was “intentionally” killed. They, however, declined to say, who they suspect to be behind the murder of the former mayor.
A member of the family, who asked not to be named, said that without any police security, they could be an easy target coming from their “enemies.”
The family are still preoccupied with the wake of Espinosa at their residence in Barangay Binolho.
No internment has been scheduled by the family and where Espinosa would be burried.
While Espinosa served as mayor of Albuera, his siblings are either living in the United States or in Cebu where their father originally came from.
His mother is a native of Albuera.
The killing of Espinosa sparked a Senate inquiry by the committee on public order and dangerous drugs with Senate Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who chairs the committee, as a case of extrajudicial killing (EJK).
Espinosa, prior to his imprisonment and death, executed an affidavit naming several high profile personalities whom he claimed to have provided them protectors for their illegal drug trade.
Among them were former Justice Secretary and now Senator Leila de Lima who denied the allegation.
Among Leyte officials named as alleged protectors were Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, Vice Gov. Carlo Loreto, Rep. Vicente Veloso and Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez.
All have denied the allegations with Gomez filing on Wednesday an administrative complaint before the National Police Commission for linking him on the illicit drug trade.
Gomez filed the case against Albuera police chief, Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido, Inspector Leo Laraga of the CIDG who named during the Senate inquiry and PO3 Hydie Yutrago.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Second Leyte Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to start the bidding of P 632 million worth of infrastructure projects for 2017.
These are projects to be undertaken by the district office under the P 1.7 billion regular infrastructure fund approved by the DPWH national office for the district engineering projects for 2017.
2nd LED District Engineer Carlos Veloso said a higher budget is allocated for 2017 compared to this year, thus, the district can expect more infrastructure projects to be started in the next coming months.
On November 27, scheduled to be bidded are 27 projects after its pre-detailed engineering was recently completed.
Meanwhile, the rest of the projects are still ongoing pre-detailed engineering and will be bidded out by December 5, 2017.
Veloso said that all projects of the district for 2017 are targeted to be all bidded out next month.
These projects consist mainly of widening, reblocking and flood control projects. Also, bridge widening projects are also set in 2017 and will target to expand the bridges to more than two lanes.
These bridges include Calbasag Bridge, Bocog Bridge, Balocawe Bridge, Bawon Bridge and Balire Bridge along the Maharlika Highway.

Ponong Bridge, Sagkahan Bridge, Tagak Bridge and Cocot Bridge along the Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road are also part of the bride widening project.
Meanwhile, a P 201 million Binahaan Bridge project will also be started along the Pastrana-Dagami-Burauen road. The project will be implemented by the regional office of the DPWH.
(AHLETTE C. REYES)