TACLOBAN CITY- Families now living at the resettlement sites in this city are to enjoy an uninterrupted water services in two years’ time.
This was disclosed by the general manager of the Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD), Pastor “Patoy” Homeres.
Homeres said that the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) issued a grant of P527 million in favor to LMWD which will be used to fund in providing water to families in the northern part of Tacloban.
The northern part of the city is where 14,433 families to be relocated by the city government after their houses were totally destroyed when supertyphoon “Yolanda” pummeled Tacloban in 2013.
Homeres said that the project, which has a two-year duration, will be bid out next month.
It was learned that the source of water that will be provided to the families in the northern part of the city will come from Barangay Tingib in Pastrana.
LMWD gets much of its water supply from Tingib. Its other source is located in Brgy.Hibunawon, Jaro.
Meanwhile, Homeres said that LMWD will continue to provide water supply to the families now living at the resettlement sites covering 17 barangays.
However, beginning March 15, they will be charged P14.85 per 1,000 liters of water consumption.
Homeres urged the residents of these villages to organize themselves into a cooperative to locally manage the distribution of the water to their constituents.

GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO, Leyte- The Commission on Population (POPCOM) celebrated Valentine’s Day with Heart to H.E.A.R.T campaign on February 14, 2017 to create awareness on the increasing number of HIV/AIDS victims and teenage pregnancy in the country.
The campaign talked about the H.E.A.R.T. issues of adolescents and teens as: H – HIV/AIDS; E- Early Sexual Encounter; A – Adolescent Sexuality – Reproductive Health and T – Teenage Pregnancy.
The Department of Health reported in December 2016 through the HIV and AIDS Registry of the Philippines (HARP) that there were 750 new HIV antibody sero-positive individuals. Most (96%) of the cases were male. More than half belong to the 25-34 year age group while 29% were youth aged 15-24 years.
In 2016, the DOH recorded 9,264 cases of HIV/AIDS, including 1,969 deaths.
On February 3 this year, before we hit the week of Heart’s Day celebration, a study of the National Institute of Health (NIH) at the University of the Philippines-Manila revealed that more aggressive Thai strain of HIV was seen among infected Filipinos and this could be one of the reasons for the continuous increase in new infections.
On the other hand, the most recent Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study 4 (YAFS 4) Further Studies showed that in 2013, 13.7 percent of females 15-19 year-old have begun childbearing. This is more than half of increase from 2002 (6.2 percent).
Also, according to YAFS 4 Further Studies, the average age of first sexual encounter in the country is 17 years old for both male and female. Most of these encounters happened at home when parents are away. Some of the YAFS 4 papers cite the strong relationship of Internet in early sex among youth.
In Eastern Visayas, one critical emerging issue is the increasing birth among adolescents. Based on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data, teenage mothers are getting younger aside from the fact that young mothers are increasing; year 2011-8,425 number of births by teenage pregnancy; year 2012-8,707; year 2013-8,668; and year 2014-9,155.
YAFS4 revealed that 9.7 percent of females aged 15-19 are already mothers; 2.1 percent of females aged 15-19 were pregnant with their first child at the time of the survey interview; 11.8 percent of females aged 15-19 have begun childbearing.
The study also revealed that the proportion of women who have begun childbearing increase with age from 2.0 percent those aged 16 to 31.8 percent among those aged 19. (PR)

PALO, Leyte- Just like their counterparts in the Armed Forces, soldiers in the region are also in full alert for any possible attack coming from the rebel group, the New People’s Army.
This was disclosed by Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar, police regional director, who said that he had already directed all police stations to be on alert.
He also said that local police forces were augmented to ensure that in case of a rebel attack, police forces would not be outnumbered or at a disadvantage situation.
“We have strengthened our different police stations by augmenting them of personnel from the Police Public Safety Company and at the same time, support system of the Army,” Beltejar said.
The full red alert came in the wake of the declaration of President Rodrigo Duterte to end the peace talks with the communist group after the NPA attacked soldiers in Mindanao despite of the then ongoing peace talks.
Beltejar instructed his men that in case their station is being raided by the rebels, they should stand their grounds and fight back and ensure their safety as well.
“I always remind them to always carry their guns and by all means defend their police stations,” he said.
He recalled an incident at the policed station in Balangkayan, Eastern Samar in 2016 wherein 17 service firearms were carted away by the rebels during a raid.
Meantime, Colonel Francisco Mendoza, commanding officer of the 802nd Infantry Brigade, in a separate interview, said that police stations and military camps are considered as soft targets by the NPA members.
The army official said that rebels in Leyte are no longer capable of staging a massive attack but could attack vital facilities of law enforcement groups.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY- The Tacloban City Hospital (TCH) is aiming for second level accreditation.
This after the city government through Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez secured fundings from the Department of Health (DOH) for the construction of a new building that will increase its total bed capacity – a requirement for the upgrading of government medical facilities.
A level 1 infirmary, TCH is operated by the city government and has an approved bed capacity of 25 with two stations, private rooms and isolation wards for male and female patients.
The proposed building worth P15 million will have a ward with a bed capacity of 30 beds the construction of which will commence once the fund is downloaded to the local government.
Also, an additional P4 million will also be given by the health agency for medical equipment.
It is now conducting total knee replacement procedure–the first hospital in the region to perform this delicate orthopedic process.
The city government-run facility also performs corneal replacement and other eye surgeries which started offering early this year.
Basic services being offered by the hospital include anti-rabies vaccination every Monday and Thursday, nebulization services and new born screenings.
It is also giving an incentive of
P1,500 to those giving birth at the hospital provided they availed of its prenatal services.
As part of the Point of Care Program of Philhealth, Taclobanons who avail of medical services at the TCH that don’t have Philhealth coverage will be automatically enrolled for one year courtesy of the city government.
The improvement of TCH facilities is also foremost among the concerns of Mayor Romualdez City as plans are also underway to create more rooms at City Health Office to accommodate its growing clientele.
(HENRY JAMES G. ROCA/CIO)

As new RDC chair

TACLOBAN CITY- Inviting investors not only for the city but in other parts of the region, notably in the three provinces of Samar, will be among her agenda for the next three years as the new chair of the Regional Development Council (RDC).
Thus said Mayor Cristina Romualdez who will formally assumed the RDC chairmanship on March 22, succeeding Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla.
Romualdez said that while Tacloban is getting its fair share in attracting investors, it could not be said to the three Samar provinces, among the most depressed provinces in the country.
“Tacloban is now doing quite well economically as we are attracting investors. However, same could not be said to the Samar provinces where poverty incidences are high,” the city mayor said.
“Our poverty incidence is being addressed and it is the Samar provinces that are pulling the region and Tacloban down in terms of poverty incidence,” Romualdez added.
“So I will also give focus to (the) Samar (provinces,” stressed.
Based on records of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), as of 2015, poverty incidence in Northern Samar is the highest in the region at 52.4 percent followed by Samar at 41.8 percent and Eastern Samar at 40.1 percent.
Meantime, the poverty incidence of Tacloban is at 9.8 percent, the lowest in the region.
For Tacloban, Romualdez said that she is focused in developing the 13.8 hectares agri-tourism economic zone located in the northern part of the city.
By developing the area, it would create additional employment with the coming in of potential investors. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

CAMP GENERAL VICENTE LUKBAN, CATBALOGAN CITY – Troops of 43rd Infantry Battalion, 8ID, led by 1Lt. Edsel Ryan B. Celebre engaged NPA(New People’s Army) rebels under their leader Salvador Nordan alias “Badok” while conducting combat operations against lawless elements at Sitio Cabaywa, Brgy. Santander, Bobon, Northern Samar on February 14, 2017.
The fire fight lasted for about five minutes that resulted to the death of the wife of the NPA leader identified as Bernadette Lutao alias “Kakan” and the recovery of one improvised explosive device (IED) and three cellular phones.
The use of IED is restricted under the United Nations Geneva Convention because of its indiscriminate effects and humanitarian harm it can cause to innocent civilians as well as a violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines- National Democratic Front)
In a statement, Maj. General Raul M. Farnacio, commanding officer of the 8th ID, said that the NPAs have been using IEDs as their weapons of choice without consideration on the welfare of the civilian populace.
“The NPA has been deliberately violating the human rights with their production and employment of IEDs and their continuous disruption of the peaceful lives of our fellow Filipinos especially those in the far-flung barangays,” he stated.
“This accomplishment is a triumph for the collective effort of the local government unit and agencies, 8ID, and our civilian constituents to attain just and lasting peace in Northern Samar. Filipinos want peace and it is high time for our fellow Filipinos who were misled to join the NPA to lay down their arms and lead their lives away from armed struggle,” Farnacio urged.
Since the lifting of the ceasefire by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, 8ID troops have been conducting security operations in the region as part of their mandate.
“Rest assured that your Army in Eastern Visayas are tirelessly committed to serve and secure the people within the bounds of respect of Human Rights, International Humanitarian Law, and Rule of Law,” Farnacio added. (PR)