TACLOBAN CITY – The regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) has declared a diarrhea outbreak in a village in Almagro, Samar after the water-borne disease has downed 40 residents over the past two weeks.
DOH regional epidemiology and surveillance unit chief Roderick Boyd Cerro said local health officials traced the plague to the contamination of dug well, a major source of drinking water in Barangay Panjobjoban II, a farming and fishing village with 100 households.
“About 33 residents were confined at the Calbayog District Hospital since October 5 for suffering of diarrhea (symptoms). The rest underwent treatment at the rural health unit,” Cerro said.
The district hospital is the nearest health facility to the island town of Almagro. The only means of access to Almagro is by motorboat from the port of Calbayog City, taking usually up to two hours of travel.
“The water source is just near the residential area without toilet and canal. The contamination is very obvious even without laboratory tests confirmation,” Cerro added.
The local government has already ordered the closure of the water source. The health department has provided oral rehydration solution for affected residents and jerry cans for proper water storage.
Massive information drive on diarrhea prevention has been launched in Almagro town.
Diarrhea is characterized by stomach pain, headache, body weakness and watery stools. The worst is dehydration that can cause death.
From April to July this year, diarrhea outbreak in different parts of the region has killed 81 people and afflicted 9,432 others. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)
DOH declares diarrhea outbreak in a Samar village
Leyte (1st Dist) Rep.Yedda Marie Romualdez
photo by Ver Noveno
PDEA chief: No shabu laboratory in EV
Contrary to “Bato’s” statement
TACLOBAN CITY-The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said that there is no shabu laboratory existing in the region. But still, PDEA Regional Director Edgar Jubay said that they will continue their monitoring if there could be a shabu laboratory existence in any part of the region. During his recent visit in the region, Police Director General Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa mentioned of a shabu laboratory at the Abuyog Penal Colony in Abuyog, Leyte. Jubay said that the shabu circulating in the region came from Cebu, Metro Manila and Mindanao passing through from its various ports. The region’s alleged top drug lord, Kerwin Espinosa, who was arrested on Monday in Abu Dhabi, got his supply from Cebu, Jubay said. Jubay added that they continue on their monitoring of individuals link to illegal drug, to include those mentioned by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte. Jubay added that the intensified campaign against the proliferation of illegal drugs had resulted to reduction of illegal drug supply in the region. Although one of the top illegal drug operators in the country is from the region, records shows that the situation is still “manageable,” the PDEA regional chief said. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Cop files complaints against 9 persons
Alleged Espinosa protectors
By: JAN B. DAMAS
ALBUERA, Leyte- The police chief of this town initiated the filing of criminal charges against nine personalities alleged to be engaging or protectors of illegal drug activity of Mayor Roland Espinosa and his son Kerwin.
Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido filed separate complaints against businessman Eufrocino “Winnie” Codilla, Jr., brother of former Ormoc city mayors Eric and Eduardo; Jonnah Joseph Ungab, lawyer and vice mayor of Ronda, Cebu; businessman Victor Espina, brother of former PNP Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina and Joseph Nuñez, retired officer of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
Media personalities Lalaine Jimenea, Leo Dumon and John Pilapil were also included in the complaint filed Wednesday (Oct.12) by Espenido at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office based in Tacloban City.
All were charged for receiving drug money from the Espinosas as protection money.
Used as evidence by Espenido in filing complaints against the respondents were the returned checks they recovered with their names on them.
The checks were said to be issued by Espinosa as a payoff to the respondents for them to continue their illegal drug activity.
Mayor Espinosa had earlier claimed that various personalities, including top government officials, received huge sum of money as payola to them so they could continue to operate their illegal drug activity.
His son Kerwin was tagged by President Rodrigo Duterte as the region’s top drug lord.
The two were earlier charged for selling illegal drugs and possession of firearms.
The Albuera mayor is now detained at the sub-provincial jail in Baybay City while Kerwin remains at-large.
Earlier, Espenido filed a complaint against former Justice Secretary and now Senator Leila de Lima and Nelson Pepito, Jr., councilor of Barangay Binolho, Albuera for drug trafficking before the Office of the Ombudsman.
Leyte Samar Daily Express could not reach some of the respondents for their reactions.
But Jimenea, who is the publisher of EV Mail, based on media report, declined to comment upon advice of her lawyer. She is on a trip abroad.
Pilapil, correspondent of CNN Philippines and anchor of Power FM based in Ormoc City, dismissed the complaint filed against him.
He said that the money he received from the Espinosa was a payment for a sponsorship for his radio program especially when the elder Espinosa ran for mayor of Albuera last year.
Sen. Villar urges coco farmers to go into inter-cropping
To increase their income
PALO, Leyte- Senator Cynthia Villar urged coconut farmers to go into inter-cropping saying they could earn more in doing so.
Villar, who was in this town Thursday (Oct.13) to grace the regional cooperative center on climate change and mitigation, said that big farmers in the country are into inter-cropping reason why they earn big.
“If we just remain on planting coconut trees, that’s only (equivalent) to P50 a day; it should only be a sideline. We have to intercrop high value crops like corn, cacao, coffee or vegetables,” the senator said.
“We should have varied sources of income so that if one is not available, there are still other sources where we can earn,” she said.
Villar noted that considering of the impacts of supertyphoon ‘Yolanda’ to coconut farmers in the region, in particular, coconut farmers should really go into inter-cropping.
Over a million of coconut farmers in the region suffered economic losses when the region was pummeled by Yolanda in 2013.
The regional office of the Philippine Coconut Authority had earlier reported that 33 million coconut trees with a value of P16 billion were lost due to Yolanda.
The PCA has also urged the coconut farmers to go into inter-cropping.
Sen. Villar said that poverty could also be significantly reduced if coconut farmers will also practice inter-cropping.
“The best way to reduce poverty is to empower our farmers and even fishermen because they are the poorest in the country. So, if we are able to increase their income, then we are able to reduce poverty,” the senator said.
Incidentally, Eastern Visayas is now the second poorest region in the country after Yolanda’s onslaught as production of the agriculture sector suffered massive decline.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
New classrooms to be constructed in 5 Leyte towns
TACLOBAN CITY – At least 56 more classrooms will be added to various public schools in Leyte in a bid to address the need for more classrooms for the increasing number of students yearly and the new enrollees under the K to 12 program which started this year.
The Department of Public Works and Highways’ 2nd Leyte Engineering District (2nd LED) recently awarded contracts for the constructions of school buildings in Jaro, Macarthur, Lapaz, Dagami and Dulag towns.
The school buildings comprise the ninth batch for the school building program funded under the Department of Education’s Basic Educational Facilities Fund (BEFF).
The school buildings due to start construction include the three-storey 12-classroom in Granja Kalinawan National High School in Jaro; three-storey 9-classroom at the Macarthur National High School in Macarthur; two-storey 3-classroom building and a three-storey 12-classroom building at the Atty. Roque A. Marcos Memorial School in Lapaz; two-storey 8-classroom building at the Sta. Mesa National High School in Dagami and the three-storey 9-classroom building at the Dulag National High School in Dulag.
Engineer Carlos Veloso, head of the 2nd LED, said that all school buildings being constructed by the DPWH are typhoon resilient based on a new standards jointly set by DepEd and their department.
With stronger typhoons expected attributed to climate change, both the DPWH and the DepEd made sure that schools can withstand ferocious winds and heavy downpours.
The design of the new school buildings takes into consideration human dimensions, applicable building codes, green building adaptation, effect of climate change, calamity-resilience, withstanding strong typhoons and major earthquakes and compliance with the National Structural Code of the Philippines.
School building construction program proved to be very challenging for the DPWH as some sites failed to pass the subsurface soil exploration survey, leading to cost adjustment, and search for alternative sites.
The construction of additional school buildings and classrooms thru the BEFF have eased classroom shortages and provided additional facilities.
DepEd provided more than P411 million in funds for these school buildings to ensure adequate classrooms as the senior high school program starts.
(AHLETTE C. REYES)