ORMOC CITY- A top military official issued his appeal for the public help them attain peace, at least in Leyte.
Brigadier General Francisco Mendoza, Jr., commanding officer of the Philippine Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade based in Ormoc City, said that securing a peaceful environment is not only their concern but the rest of the public.
“Peace (is) everybody’s concern,” he said.
Mendoza, as part of their campaign to achieve peace, led around 500 peace advocates in the city for this year’s Bike and Ride for Peace themed “Puso para sa Kapayapaan, Magkaisa para sa Bayan” that was held Sunday(September 24) at the city plaza.
“The support of the public shows that we are able to join hands towards attaining peace and security considering that peace is everybody’s business”, Mendoza said.
“Your soldiers will always be here to barge any attempt to disrupt peace in your area”, he said.
Also joining the activity were Baybay City Mayor Carmen Cari and son Vice Mayor Michael Cari.
The lady mayor reminded the audience, who were mostly teenagers, to always embrace love and peace as the best approach for development to ultimately attain happiness that everyone aspires. (ELVIE ROMAN ROA)
Army official seeks support from public to achieve peace in Leyte
Leyte town poised to be declared as drug-free by PDEA
TACLOBAN CITY- The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) declared as drug-free 17 barangays of Mahaplag town in Leyte.
The declaration, made on September 25 in a simple ceremony, could now make Mahaplag as the first town in Leyte to be declared as a drug-free municipality, said Alex Tablate, chief of PDEA-8’s operations division.
Mahaplag has 28 barangays wherein only 17 of its villages have been tagged by PDEA as drug-influenced areas.
“As of now, we are waiting for the documentary requirements which must be submitted by the unaffected barangays in order for Mahaplag to be declared as a drug-free municipality,”Tablate said.
“Hopefully in the next few weeks, we can declare Mahaplag as the first drug-free municipality in the province of Leyte,” he added.
Once the documentary requirements as required under the Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 3 are met, the members of an oversight committee composed of the PDEA, Philippine National Police, Department of Interior and Local Government and other agencies will convene to declare Mahaplag as a drug-free municipality.
Tablate said that Mahaplag and their police were very supportive in the implementation of their barangay drug clearing operations reason why they did not encounter any difficulties in validating the villages whether they are drug influenced or not.
However, if a drug personality will be arrested in a barangay declared as drug-free, it will be given 30 days to act upon the reported illegal drug activities so that this will not affect the declaration of their municipality as drug-free, Tablate said.
Under the DDB Regulation No. 3 series of 2017, barangays were given the full responsibility to maintain their areas as drug-free villages but with the assistance of PDEA, PNP and other stakeholders.
The PDEA had earlier declared as drug-free the towns of General McArthur and Maslog, both in Eastern Samar and Limasawa, Southern Leyte.
(RYAN GABRIEL LLOSA ARCENAS)
Board member Apostol asks colleagues to examine first details on usufruct agreements before their approval
TACLOBAN CITY – Board Member Trinidad Apostol cushioned her colleagues at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to exercise diligence in approving a usufruct agreements for construction of offices at the Government Center in Palo town.
Apostol, who is a former congresswoman from Leyte’s second district, said that while she is not opposed with the provincial government entering usufruct agreements with other government offices, these should be given some serious considerations.
She said that considering that the Government Center, which houses several regional government offices, is fast becoming a prime economic property in Leyte, the provincial board should first take its “pros and cons.”
This call of Apostol amid approval of usufruct agreements entered by the provincial government under Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla with various government agencies.
The provincial government is set to enter usufruct agreements with the Regional Highway Patrol Unit-8, Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation, and the Office of the Civil Defense.
Apostol said the provincial government has first to ensure that the stipulations agreed upon in the usufruct are met before Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla and the provincial board approves such contract.
The usufruct agreement usually involves a 25-year term which is renewable by another 25 years.
Also, the regional office can take possession of the property within one year from the signing of the usufruct and should undertake construction within two years from the execution of the contract.
The usufruct further states that the ownership of the building and all other alterations, improvements or additions on the property will remain with the provincial government at the end of the term or during renewal.
Gov. Petilla earlier said that entering into contract of usufruct with regional government agencies and other offices is part of a grand plan of the province to develop and fully utilize the government center property.
(AHLETTE C. REYES)
RDC okays P651.66-B investment program for Region 8
TACLOBAN CITY – The Regional Development Council (RDC) has approved on Friday the P651.66 billion 2017-2022 Regional Development Investment Program (RDIP) after months of drafting and series of consultations.
The amount has increased significantly from the total P430 billion proposed prior to the RDC sector committee meetings three weeks ago.
“There was an adjustment because we included more infrastructure projects especially those aligned in the priority of the Duterte administration. We need to build, build, build to support the President’s priority programs,” said RDC Vice Chairman and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Director Bonifacio Uy.
The RDIP contains a list and brief profile of programs and projects of agency regional offices and state universities and colleges in support of strategies outlined in the Regional Development Plan (RDP).
It also includes a list of activities of the six provincial governments in the region proposed for official development assistance funding and implementation by the central government.
The RDC will proofread the approved investment program, print the document, and send to the NEDA main office by October.
“This is still subject to regular updating to see what the needed projects are every year. Projects that are deemed important and critical for the region to attain development plan,” Uy added.
The projects and activities in the RDIP concretize the strategies in the main RDP. It has 15 key strategies meant to reduce poverty and sustain economic growth.
The 15 plan of actions are science and technology innovations, reducing inequality in opportunities in human development, accelerating infrastructure development, promoting regional competitiveness, reaching for the demographic dividend, promoting Eastern Visayas culture and values formation expanding economic opportunities in farming and fisheries.
Other strategies are enhancing peace, security, public order, and justice administration; enhancing disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and mitigation; enhancing good governance; building resiliency of individuals and families; expanding economic opportunities in industry; maintaining ecological integrity and a clean and healthy environment; providing an enabling and supportive macroeconomic environment; and expanding economic opportunities in services.
The RDP, which serves as the blueprint of the region’s development direction, is anchored on the Sustainable Development Goals, the Long-Term Vision of Filipinos or “Ambisyon Natin 2040” and President Duterte’s 0+10 Point Socioeconomic Agenda.
The RDC, the region’s highest policymaking body, approved the new RDP during its full council meeting on December 20, 2016.
Under the plan, the region aims to attain 5.2 percent to 5.7 percent economic growth in 2017.
For 2018 to 2022, the average target is 5.8 percent to 7 percent. In 2015, the region posted a remarkable growth of 3.9 percent in the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) due to massive post-Yolanda reconstruction activities.
The 2015 performance is a “significant turnaround” after the region incurred a 2.4 percent contraction in 2014, largely due to the destruction of the monster typhoon.
The region suffered a big drop in GRDP in 2012 at negative 6.8 percent after a minimal 2.1 percent increase in 2011.
It was followed with a big leap to 4.6 percent in 2013 due to the good economy before super typhoon “Yolanda” struck.
Last year, the region’s GRDP surged 12.4 percent, the highest among 17 regions in the country.
(Sarwell Q. Meniano/PNA)
Tacloban observes maritime week celebration
TACLOBAN CITY- The Philippine Ports Authority here joined the national maritime week with series of activities lined-up.
The holding of the said activity is in consonance of Proclamation 1094 issued by former President Fidel Ramos.
This year’s celebration has the theme, “Connecting ships, ports, and people”.
The week-long celebration kicked on Sunday (September 24) with a motorcade attended by various agencies followed by a mass.
Fire drills were done on the third day of the activity. Coastal clean-up, mangrove planting, feeding program and bloodletting were also held on Sept.27.
The week-long celebration ended on Friday (Sept.29) with a program held at the Leyte Park.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard ensured despite lack of its enforcers, the port area of Tacloban is secured from shipments of illegal drugs and that they are conducting maritime security patrol to prevent any entry of illegal drugs.(EMILY MONTALLANA, LNU STUDENT INTERN)
Tacloban gov’t designs mobile application to help deter commission of crimes
TACLOBAN CITY- Commission of crimes in the city could now be abetted with the help of a new mobile application designed by the city government.
Using the application dubbed as Mamamayang Ayaw sa Anomaliya, Mamamayang Ayaw sa Illegal na Droga Mobile Application (MASA MASID APP) was programmed for the sole purpose of addressing commission of crimes across the city, said Mayor Cristina Romualdez.
The program, developed by the City Management Information System Division, can be availed by the use of a cellphone.
One has just to download MASA-MASID APP at Tacloban.gov.ph, a fast communication reporting which serves as a hotline coursed thru the City’s CCGR (Community Climate Guide Response) Text Alert System.
The CCGR will process the information and immediately act in referring the report on illegal drugs to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the city police.
“It was exclusively made for Tacloban to protect and secure the identity of the persons reporting the illegal activities in their respective barangays,” Mayor Romualdez said.
The program has devised a mechanism where individuals can report an incident without identifying themselves, she added.
The mobile application using the CCGR alert system is expected to save many lives during an emergency.
The public can avail of the service by registering their mobile number and will automatically receive daily update or alert warning.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA / GAY B. GASPAY, KANHURAW MEDIA TEAM)