TACLOBAN CITY- Tropical depression “Crising” spawned flooding incidents in Leyte as it dumped heavy rains on Black Saturday(April 15).
However, reports from disaster risk reduction management offices in Eastern and Northern Samar provinces disclosed of no flooding or landslide incidents brought by Crising.
In Hernani, Eastern Samar where Crising made its landfall Saturday night, its municipal disaster risk reduction management officer Lito Ogania said that no flooding incident occurred in the town.
“There was no incident of a flooding incident in our town. What we experienced was slight to moderate rain,” Ogania said in a phone interview.
Josefina Titong, provincial disaster risk reduction management officer of Eastern Samar, in a separate interview, said that her office has not received any report of either flooding or landslide incident in any part of the province.
“But we are on alert for any incident relative to the tropical depression,” Titong said.
In Tacloban City, flooding incidents were reported in several areas, to include its downtown area due to heavy rains brought by Crising.
But Lutgarda Raagas, head of the Tacloban City Rescue Unit, said that the flooding incident subsided after the heavy rains stopped.
Several villages of Palo and Tanauan, both in Leyte, were flooded, said Roel Montesa of the provincial disaster risk reduction management office.
About six villages of Palo experienced flooding while 15 low-lying villages of Tanauan were flooded, he added.
In Allen, Northern Samar, the Coast Guard allowed the more than 3,400 passengers stranded at the ports to depart on Good Friday at past 9 pm after the storm signal was lifted by PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration). (JOEY A. GABIETA)
“Crising” brought in floodings in Leyte
Body of a drowned engineering student recovered at the Pinipisakan Falls
CATARMAN, Northern Samar- The dead body of an engineering student who was drowned while swimming at the Pinipisakan Falls was recovered three days after the incident.
The lifeless body of Jude Christopher Pinca, 21 and a 4th year civil engineering student at the University of Eastern Philippines, this town, was recovered floating in the river which runs within the Pinipisakan Falls.
Pinipisakan Falls is located in Las Navas and is one of the major tourist attractions of the province.
The cadaver of the victim was already bloated when it was recovered by the rescue groups at around 8 am on Wednesday (April 12), Engr. Romualdo Saises, Las Navas’ disaster risk reduction management officer, said.
Pinca was said to have been drowned last April 9, Palm Sunday.
It was learned that Pinca was with his friends to swim at the Pinipisakan Falls and rented a kayak.
However, unlike his companions, Pinca did not wear a life vest as instructed by the owner of the kayak.
While they were near the falls, their kayak capsized due to strong currents. Pinca’s friends were able to survive due to their life vests that they used.
Saises said that while the body of Pinca was discovered to have been buried at the coral stones of the riverbed, they could not retrieve it as it was located at 100 meters deep of the Pinipisakan Falls.
On Wednesday (April 12), the body of Pinca was seen floating. (RACHEL V. ARNAIZ)
Developing Palo – Annual staging on the reenactment of Jesus Christ’s passion and death lives on
PALO, Leyte- Romeo Gatila expressed his surprise that this town has changed dramatically in almost three decades after he left his place of birth.
In particular, the 65-year old man noted the change of backdrop where the annual dramatization on the passion and death of Jesus Christ, held every Good Friday, is being held at the compound of the Palo Cathedral, officially known as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lord’s Transfiguration.
“The last time I was here to watch the reenactment, there were trees all over the place and there were no structures except the cathedral itself and the municipal building which is just located adjacent to it,” Gatila, who now lives in Quezon City, said.
His family is originally from Barangay Luntad, where the Palo Cathedral is located and the center of activity of the reenactment.
Two years ago, commercial buildings were constructed inside the close to two hectares compound of the Palo Cathedral, built in 1596 but was proclaimed as a cathedral in 1936.
The structures were constructed by the Palo archdiocese and are being leased out to private companies. Among the business establishments located at the commercial buildings are bank, coffee shop, snack house, and a pastry shop.
For Gatila, the change of surroundings gives him a sort of melancholy.
“While I welcome the sprouting of the buildings as part of development, I still prefer the old atmosphere where there are tress and bigger space for the public watching the reenactment,” he said.
Palo is about 17 kms away from the regional center of Tacloban City and one of the areas in Leyte that suffered massive devastation when super typhoon “Yolanda” pummeled the province in 2013.
Town Mayor Remedios Petilla said that the rising of these structures within the Palo Cathedral area is an indication that the town of more than 70,000 people is on the verge of economic development.
“Palo is fast attracting new investors and we should all welcome this. While there are now structures within the (compound of the) Palo Cathedral, the yearly reenactment continues to be held there,” Petilla said.
The municipal hall is still being used as part of the sites of the reenactment, dubbed as “Pamalandong,” now on its 43rd year, which starts before 12 noon and ends at 3 pm.
Palo, a third class town with more than P159 million income, is seeing development after it was pummeled by Yolanda with the coming in of new investors.
For Ricky Portola, who is part of the more than 300 cast of the reenactment for the past five years now, the change of landscape does not bother them at all.
According to him, while some adjustments have to be made because of the presence of the structures in the area, the flow of the reenactment is still the same.
“There are no major changes actually. We still use the same route during the reenactment,” he said.
However, the “Golgotha,” a hill where Jesus Christ was brought and nailed to die, was changed from its old location.
The previous location of the Golgotha was near at one of the entrances of the cathedral but has to be changed to give way to a reconstructed building damaged due to Yolanda.
Now, the Golgotha is located near the cathedral, adjacent where image of Our Lady of Hope of Palo, blessed by Pope Francis during his January 17, 2015 visit.
Portola plays the character of Caiaphas, a role once played by his father, Fred, who was said to have plotted the killing of Jesus Christ.
For Pamela de la Cruz, who owns a shop just across the Palo Cathedral, the construction of the commercial buildings within the compound of the cathedral, is a welcome development.
“It only means that our town is developing. It’s the people who will eventually benefit from this development anyway,” de la Cruz, 36, said.
Meantime, more than 3,000 people watched this year’s Pamalandong, who appeared unmindful of the new backdrop. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
Mayor Uy-Tan opened sports clinic for Catbalogan’s youths
CATBALOGAN CITY- A sports clinic intended for the youths of this city was recently opened by Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan.
The sports clinic, formally known as the 1st Catbalogan City Mayor Step Summer Sports Festival, aim to help the youths of the city further harness their skills of their chosen sports discipline.
The sports clinic, launched on April 12 which officially started on Monday (April 17), is under the City Youth Development Office.
Eight sports activities are in line for the sports festival namely: volleyball, basketball, badminton, table tennis, lawn tennis, chess, sepak takraw, and taekwondo. Except for sepak takraw, all sports events are open to both girls and boys.
Zaldy Ilagan, city sports coordinator, said that the festival will start with a clinic, which means that those who will register for a certain sports event will undergo basic training of their chosen event, this is for beginners while those who are already into this kind of sports will be able to further hone their skills.
The city government tapped the coaches from the city division of the Department of Education to handle the training.
Also involved are some volunteers from various sports organizations and enthusiasts in the city.
The city schools superintendent, meanwhile, hopes that the performance of their athletes at the EVRAA (Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association) Meet will also improve with this kind of training support from the local government unit.
In her message at the opening, Mayor Uy-Tan called on the young people to engage themselves in sports.
She said engaging our young people and children in sports is a wonderful way to develop lifelong skills, it builds good character such as teamwork, leadership, responsibility and physical fitness among other advantages.
The city, according to the city mayor, aims to develop the full potential of our young constituents through this significant summer sports event.
She also acknowledged partners of the city government in this activity and sends her deep appreciation for their continued support in the implementation of city’s various programs. She also said that this activity is the beginning of a sustainable sports development program that the city has lined up for her 2nd term as the Mayor.
Dennis Cosmod, city youth development officer, said that the city government has allocated substantial fund for this activity and called on the parents to take advantage of this program and register their children.
Expected to last for a month this summer, the sports festival will be capped with a mini sports tournament towards the last week of May. (MYRA M. TAMBOR)
OCD: No damages in Region 8 due to ‘Crising’
TACLOBAN CITY – Tropical depression “Crising” has not caused significant damages in the region, the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) reported.
Crising made its landfall twice in the region on Black Saturday- first in Hernani, Eastern Samar and Basey, Samar.
Edgar Posadas, OCD regional director of the OCVD, said only minor flooding have been reported in some parts of the region after the weather disturbance dumped heavy rains on Saturday (April 15).
“The situation in the region was generally okay except for a few flooding incidents. No other significant events were reported,” Posadas said in a text message.
Of all affected areas, only the local government unit of Palo, Leyte sought the assistance of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council after floods inundated nine villages, displacing 500 families.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) lifted sea travel suspension on Saturday night after 24 hours of trip cancellations as state weather bureau PAGASA raise cyclone warning signal number 1 in Eastern Visayas provinces.
At least 2,965 were stranded in ports of Allen, Northern Samar; Isabel, Leyte; and Palompon, Leyte from Friday night until Saturday night. (MELVA MAE C.MENIANO)
In Ormoc City: Sugar farmers failed to harvest after landowners questioned the move
ORMOC CITY- About 23 sugar farmers from this city were looking forward that after years of waiting, they could harvest sugarcanes this week.
However, the enthusiasm of the farmers of Barangay Sumangga turned into another nightmare as they were stopped by the previous owner of the lot.
The farmers received their CLOAs (certificate of land ownership awards) from the Department of Agrarian Reform in 1998, giving them legal rights of the 35 hectares of sugar field.
However, the Potenciano and Aniceta Larrazabal Enterprise Corporation (PALEC), the original owner of the property, questioned the distribution.
But last year, DAR was able to install the 23 farmers who formed a group, Sumangga Farmers Association (SUFA).
On Tuesday (March 28), the farmers were supposed to have their first harvest only to be frustrated anew as PALEC registered its opposition.
PALEC, as represented by its board member Geraldine Larrazabal, requested a court order from DAR and the 23 beneficiaries before the corporation allow them to proceed with the harvest.
But the DAR insisted that a court is unnecessary since the activity is part of the implementation of the Agrarian Reform Law and that the land legitimately belongs to the farmer beneficiaries.
Larrazabal insisted to postpone the harvest until April 4 so that the other PALEC board members can sit down for another dialogue with the beneficiaries and DAR to further discuss the issue.
Lawyer Rolly Peoro, legal officer of Kaisahan, a nongovernment organization assisting the farmer beneficiaries, said that the existing sugarcane already belongs to the CLOA holders since the crops were planted by PALEC in bad faith.
“The DAR rules are clear: crops that were introduced from the time of or after the former landowner’s receipt of the notice that the landholdings had already been effectively acquired by the state as evidence by certificate of deposit shall be considered as planting or sowing is done in bad faith by the former landowner,” he said.
With a heavy heart, the farmer beneficiaries signed a resolution and reluctantly agreed to wait for another week just to come up with a resolution and to avoid further conflict.
It was agreed upon that no harvesting activity shall begin before April 4, 2017, until the issue is settled between the ARBs and PALEC.
(JAZMIN BONIFACIO)