BORONGAN CITY- The Department of Education (DepEd) has allotted P35 million for the repair of damaged school buildings in San Julian town, Easter Samar.
It can be recalled that on April 23, 2019, a strong earthquake with 6.5 magnitude rocked Eastern Visayas with San Julian town as the epicenter.
Engineers noticed cracks in some bridges and roads right after the quake.
Personnel from the Department of Public Works and Highways immediately repaired the roads.
In the schools, a team of DepEd engineers assessed the school buildings.
They have identified classrooms in San Julian Central School, San Julian National High School, Libas Elementary School, Pagbabangnan Elementary School, and Nena National High School as defective and needed repair.
As to the start of the repair, Montallana said, “Repairs will be done immediately once the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) comes in, I think this June.”
(NBQ/PIA 8-E Samar)
DepEd allots P35M for repair of quake-damaged schools
A better, grander Piña Festival this year, says Mayor Gomez
Now on its 3rd year
ORMOC CITY- Mayor Richard Gomez of this city is inviting the public again to visit Ormoc for this year’s Piña Festival as he vowed that it would be ‘better, bigger, and brighter” compare to the previous years of its staging.
“There are a lot of people working together for our fiesta. Everyone involved wants the celebration to be more exciting,” said Gomez who is now on his second term after winning in the May 13 elections.
“The Piña Festival also seeks to promote, not only Ormoc’s very own sweet queen pineapple but also its people’s strong personality that overcomes challenges and obstacles they face, from personal problems to calamities and disasters,” he added.
The city government has earmarked P22 million for the city fiesta celebration with other funds to be augmented by private sponsors.
According to the mayor, the month-long festivity is expected to draw over a million visitors while ensuring to keep the economic activities alive in the city
Dr. Gregorio Yrastorza III, city councilor and committee executive-co-chairman, urged the visitors to get ready for the “exciting days” as they will be rolling out the various month-long activities for the 422nd fiesta celebration in honor of its patrons, Saints Peter and Paul on June 29.
Rotary groups like the Rotary Club of Ormoc Bay through its president Apple Anido Alagon will also lead in different socio-civic activities during the celebration.
One of the major fiesta events will be the Parade of Lights on the evening of June 15.
The parade, with its theme “Storyland”, will feature luminescent vehicular floats and lighted costumes that will pass through the city’s major thoroughfares.
Parade of Lights was also among the crowd-favorites in last year’s fiesta events.
“Now in its third year, the Piña Festival street dance and ritual showdown is one of the highlights on the entire celebration which will be held on June 23,” said the Piña Festival chairwoman Estrella Maria Pangilinan.
About 10 schools will compete during the event with a grand prize of P500,000.
Also, there will be 20 candidates who will vie for this year’s Search for Miss Ormoc scheduled on June 28 at the Ormoc Superdome.
The crowned queen will have the chance to represent the city in the Miss World Philippines pageant in Manila, added Nelson Alindogan, chairman of the Miss Ormoc 2019.
Aside from being an advocate on environmental protection and local tourism, the title holder will also receive P100,000 as the grand prize.
Rey Evangelista, the sports committee chairman, said that tournaments will be played starting June 1.
These include volleyball (June 1-2), basketball (June 3-6), triathlon (June 9, open to all players around the country), boxing (June 14-16), table tennis (June 9), soccer (June 15-16), law tennis (June 15-16), chess (June 15-16), laser run (June 16), dance sports (June 16), airsoft (June 16), trail bike (June 30), swimming (June 22-23), and badminton (June 22-23).
From June 1-30, the fiesta food bazaar coupled with nightly entertainment will open at the city’s downtown area, targeting 3,000 diners per night. The fiesta culminating concert on June 29 will have the Pinoy rock star Bamboo to entertain the expected crowd of 20,000 at the city public plaza.
Other sectoral fiesta celebrations include religious night (June 9), barangay day (June 12), government employees’ night (June 14), market vendors night (June 17), socio-civic organizations night (June 18), business night (June 19), and educators night (June 21).(RONALD O. REYES)
PSA says EV’s inflation rate decreased by 0.1 percent on April
TACLOBAN CITY- The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the region’s inflation rate last month stood at 2 percent.
The latest inflation rate is relatively lower compared to previous month’s 2.1 percent inflation rate, Wilma Perante, PSA regional director said.
The decline of the regional inflation rate was due to the decrease of prices of basic commodities like rice, she added.
The April inflation rate of Eastern Visayas is said to be the third lowest among the country’s regions.
Among the provinces, Leyte posted the fastest increase on prices of goods and services at 3.5 percent, followed by Southern Leyte, 2.0 percent, Eastern Samar, 1.8 percent and Northern Samar at 1.6 percent.
Inflation rate refers to the increase of prices of goods and services over a period of time. (APRIL Q. UYKIENG, STUDENT INTERN – ASIAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION COLLEGE)
PhilMech launches Regional Technology Management and Demo Center in E. Visayas
ABUYOG, Leyte-Many years ago no one even imagine that a one-stop shop Technology Management and Demo Center that will feature various farm equipment and machineries (of all sizes and shapes) could be set up right here in Eastern Visayas or Region 8.
But today, local farmers here couldn’t believe that the impossible suddenly became possible. All because something very significant happened inside the Abuyog Experiment Station in Balinsasayao, Abuyog, Leyte.
Unknown to many, the Philippine Center for Postharvest Dev’t and Mechanization (PhilMech), an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, was silently constructing its own satellite office inside the DA Research Station in this part of Region 8.
In close collaboration with DA-RFO 8, PhilMech started a big leap by way of building a P3 million-worth of Technology Management and Demonstration Center fully furnished and equipped with various kinds of farm machineries that any progressive farmer right away wants to possess or use as his or her own.
Earlier today, said infrastructure project, including a wide range of farm machineries have been inaugurated or launch as part of the annual observance of Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month Celebration.
The launch has been spearheaded by a team of agricultural engineers of PhilMech led by its Deputy Director Raul R. Paz, who incidentally hails from Carigara, Leyte.
Accordingly, said facility will afford farmers the opportunity to gain access to information and technology services, with the ultimate end of commercializing PhilMech-invented postharvest and farm processing equipment or machineries.
On the part of the DA-RFO8, Farmer Director Inocencio Morallos who was introduced by Dr. Andrew Orais, Chief, Field Operations Division, stood in as the Keynote messenger.
Morallos lauded PhilMech for the realization of this project which is one of the top priorities aggressively pushed by DA Secretary Manny Piñol amidst the issues/challenges with the enactment of the Rice Tarrification Law this year.
“We, the farmers in the region, are very grateful to the gov’t thru Secretary Piñol for the sincerity and dedicated services being accorded to us farmers in Region 8,” the Farmer Director addressed these words to the PhilMech staff who had helped put up the said facility.
Meanwhile, Board Member Emmanuel Gacis of 5th District of Leyte, representing Governor Mic Petilla, also gave thanks to DA and PhilRice in bringing the farm technologies closer to home. “We will continue to support projects that could help push the level of food production, productivity and income of our farmers which are also in accord with the provincial thrusts and priorities,” gushed BM Gacis.
(FRANCIS ROSAROSO/PR)
Gov’t to spend P500 million relative to the 500th First Mass anniversary in 2021
MAASIN CITY – The infrastructure project intended for the celebration of the 500 years of the First Easter Mass in Asia will need around P200 million.
This was disclosed by Southern Leyte Governor Damian Mercado who said that the funding will come from the national government,particularly from the Department of Tourism.
“The provincial government will have a counterpart of P30 million or 15 percent of the budget,” Gov. Mercado said.
The 500th year of the First Mass will be held in 2021.
Infrastructure projects for the 500 years celebration includes the construction of 30 feet cross overlooking Limasawa Island that will have restaurant and a café, a shrine and a chapel.
“Some residents are to be relocated because their houses are located in the area where these projects are to be built,” Mercado said.
“The provincial government had already bought a lot where they will be relocated and we also bought the properties within the project site so that when it begins the national government will not face any problem,” Mercado added.
The province bought the property for P7 million.
Last week, the provincial government with DOT8 Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes, Limasawa Mayor Melchor Petracorta, Diocese of Maasin as represented by Fr. Dennis Cagantas and the event technical team met to talk for updates for this monumental event in Philippine history and to Christian faith.
“Most of our discussion was focused on the updates,” Mercado said.
DOT8 heads the committee for the fifth centennial celebration of the First Mass, with the provincial government as co-chair, while members were the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the local government unit of Limasawa.
In its earlier full council meeting in June this year, the RDC issued Resolution No. 32 which endorsed the request for support and funding requirements of the 500th celebration to concerned agencies.
Aside from the DOT, the Department of Transportation also implemented a project in Limasawa Island to ease travel of tourists and guest who will be visiting the town in 2021 by constructing a new port in the eastern part of the island closer to Barangay Magallanes where the major activities are to be held.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Tacloban City gov’t to kick-off Sangyaw Festivities on June 1
TACLOBAN CITY-Preparations are underway for the month-long Sangyaw Festivities which is due to start this coming Saturday, June 1, 2019, with a motorcade that will pass through the city’s main thoroughfares at around 4 pm.
At least 40 vehicles will join the convoy that will signal the formal opening of the annual celebration in honor of Senor Sto. Niño.
The Grand Opening Program at the Sangyawan Grounds (Balyu-an Grounds) will follow shortly at 6 pm with the concert of popular Rock Band Razorback.
Several programs of activities are being prepared for the festival by the city government of Tacloban through the leadership of Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez in partnership with the different religious and civic sectors in Tacloban.
Among the main events of this year’s festivities themed “Happiest Fiesta” is the Sangyaw Parade of Lights on June 29.
The Parade of Lights features creatively decorated and brightly lighted floats and dance contingents performing ritual dance routines.
Other highlights are the Miss Tacloban Coronation Night on June 22, the Sangyaw Foundation Ball and Balik Tacloban Night on June 26, among others.
Nightly performances at the Sangyawan Music Festival featuring local and Manila-based bands, along with a number of Variety Shows will be starting at 6 pm on June 1.
Cultural shows and a fiesta fair will also be held at Plaza Rizal starting June 14 to June 27. The Sangyawan Han Isla Sinirangan, an Art Show and Festival Costume Competition will be staged on June 22-28.
Among the international, national and regional sports events in this year’s Sangyaw Festival are the 1st Sangyaw Table Tennis National Tournament (June 8-9), 3rd Mayor Cristina National Sepak Takraw (June 20-23), 7th Mr. Sangyaw Tacloban 2019 National Body Building Competition (June 27), Mayor Cristina Regional Open Chess Tournament (June 15-16), the International Jet ski Competition (June 13-15), and 11th Cancabato Sports Competition (June 21).
Religious activities for the 130th Tacloban Fiesta include the pre-Balyuan Rites on June 18 and Balyuan Rites on June 20, and the traditional fluvial and land processions, and Pontifical Mass on Fiesta Day, June 30.
The Sangyaw Festival is the official Festival of the Highly Urbanized City of Tacloban revived by former Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez in 2008.
“Sangyaw” is the local dialect term meaning “to Announce or Herald”. (HENRY JAMES ROCA/CIO)